B    3    151 


WORSHIPPERS 


A  NOVEL 

BY 
HENRY  BERMAN 


THE  GRAFTON  PRESS 

PUBLISHERS  NEW  YORK 


Copyright,  1906, 
BY  THE  GRAFTON  PRESS. 


PART   I 

WORSHIPPERS 


865 


WORSHIPPERS 


CHAPTER  I 

"F  •  ^\HE  crowd  will  tire  him,  and  he  will  take  him- 
I  self  off.  He  must  really  believe  that  things 
-*-  are  quiet  here." 

"  Well,  it  all  depends  what  he  is  coming  for.  He  isn't 
likely  to  use  us  for  copy  :  there  is  little  poetry  in  us.  You 
think  you  will  find  him  changed  ? " 

"  He  must  have  changed.  He  writes  with  more  con 
fidence  ;  almost  with  authority.  He  was  just  the  sort  of 
man  a  few  years  would  do  a  lot  with." 

And  the  last  speaker  fell  to  musing,  until  his  slackened 
pace  brought  a  protest  from  his  companion. 

The  two  men  were  on  the  southern  edge  of  Philadel 
phia's  Jewish  quarter,  over  which  darkness  crept  as  the 
blotched,  red  globe  disappeared  over  the  horizon,  leaving 
the  western  sky  a  smoky  orange  which  faded  into  a  dis 
mal  yellow  overhead,  and  grew  greyish  blue  in  the  far 
east. 

Clanging  cars  were  hurrying  belated  toilers  home.  On 
many  street  corners  workingmen  talked  in  high  pitched 
voices  before  parting,  changing  a  weary  weight  from  one 
leg  to  another ;  a  few  groups  of  girls  shuffled  along  with 
sudden  outbursts  of  laughter ;  hunger-hurried  wagons 
followed  in  the  wake  of  the  cars  ;  and  children  almost 


4  WORSHIPPERS 

scurried  under  the  horses  in  their  play,  a  few  braving  the 
fall  chill  with  bare  feet. 

The  city  was  noticeably  settling  into  quiet,  the  day's 
roar  dulled  to  a  hum. 

A  begrimed  workingman,  shrunken  in  stature,  with 
Jewish  cast  of  features,  passed  the  two  men,  and  jerked 
the  hat  from  his  head  in  greeting  to  one  of  them. 

"  A  patient  ?  " 

"  Yes.  He  has  about  six  months  more.  Hear  his 
cough  ?  The  average  tailor-shop  is  excellent  for  the  cul 
ture  of  the  bacillus." 

The  other  evinced  no  interest. 

"  I  don't  say,"  slowly  continued  the  physician,  "  that 
they  aren't  fortunate  to  stop  working  that  early.  The 
trouble  is  that,  without  exception,  they  breed  a  housefull 
of  children.  Then  there's  the  charity  organization  to 
be  gone  after,  the  man  to  be  buried,  the  children  to  be 
set  to  work,  and  the  widow  to  be  provided  for, — which 
means  some  easy,  non-paying  job — " 

"  Getting  blue  ? "  queried  his  companion  to  cut  the  de 
tails  short. 

"  Oh,  no  !  "  came  irritably.  And  silence  reigned  be 
tween  them  as  the  physician — tall,  stout,  with  a  great 
head  Jewish  in  profile,  beak-like  nose,  and  cold  grey  eyes, 
a  man  of  thirty-eight, — returned  to  his  abstraction. 

His  companion,  a  well-proportioned,  slim,  dark-skinned, 
handsome  man,  finally  asked  in  a  colorless  voice  without 
the  foreign  accent  that  marked  the  physician's  intonation : 

"  He  wrote  that  he  cared  to  meet  people  ? " 

"  Why  should  he  hide  himself  ?  Admiration  won't 
interfere  with  his  work." 

"  Your  admiration  ?  " 

"  I  shall  not  be  afraid  to  tell  him  what  I  think  of  his 
stuff,"  said  the  physician. 


WORSHIPPERS  5 

"  Mrs.  Bronski  will  want  him  at  the  house." 

"  He  didn't  shut  himself  up  in  New  York." 

"  Yet  you  were  in  New  York  several  times  within  the 
last  years  without  seeing  him." 

The  physician  vouchsafed  no  reply. 

"  Perhaps  yours  is  the  misfortune,"  continued  his  com 
panion,  "  of  knowing  him  so  well  that  you  wonder  others 
should  care  to." 

This  time  there  was  a  slight  shrug  of  the  broad  shoul 
ders. 

"  You  will  confess  that  we  haven't  a  writer  in  Yiddish 
who  is  his  equal,"  persisted  the  younger  man  as  if  deter 
mined  to  bring  to  the  surface  the  jealousy  he  discerned. 

"  We  haven't  too  many  good  writers  in  Yiddish,"  came 
the  answer.  Then  the  physician  cried  petulantly,  "  Can 
you  compare  his  work  with  that  done  on  the  other  side 
in  other  tongues  ?  " 

"  Yes, — from  what  I  have  seen  of  it.  He  is  unfortu 
nate  in  working  with  a  language  that  cramps  because  of 
narrowness  of  vocabulary,  and  makes  hideous  with  un- 
couthness  of  sound." 

"  Nonsense  !  A  thought  that  is  universal  is  so  in  any 
language."  As  they  reached  the  corner  of  a  small,  in 
tersecting  street,  the  physician  paused,  and  said,  "  I  've 
got  a  typhoid  fever  case  near  here.  On  the  way  back 
I  '11  come  in  for  a  glass  of  tea." 

"  A  patient  with  money  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I'll  get  my  money  sometime.  Only,  the  girl 
that's  sick  makes  the  living  for  the  family.  The  other 
children,  who  are  older,  have  remained  in  Russia,  strange 
to  say.  You  can't  let  people  die,  especially  when  they 
come  pulling  the  bell." 

Left  alone,  the  younger  man  went  down  the  silent 
side-street  where  small  brick  houses  of  monotonous  uni- 


6  WORSHIPPERS 

formity  stretched  out  on  both  hands.  At  one  point  there 
was  a  break ;  a  house  with  high  steps  flanked  by  a  rail 
ing,  stood  out  conspicuously  amongst  its  neighbors. 

The  man  lightly  ascended  these  steps,  and  rang  the 
bell.  A  ruddy  faced  girl  of  the  Polish  servant  type 
admitted  him.  He  hung  up  his  hat  familiarly  on  the 
rack,  and  swung  open  the  door  facing  it,  revealing  the 
sitting  room,  a  small  apartment  neatly  ordered,  with  books 
and  magazines  in  numerous  places,  and  the  photographs 
of  one  woman  variously  posed  adorning  the  wall  with  eye 
catching  effect. 

An  instant  later  one  of  a  pair  of  folding  doors  at  the 
end  of  the  room  was  thrown  open,  and  the  original  of 
the  photographs,  tall,  slender,  lithe  in  movement,  entered. 

"  The  top  of  the  evening  to  you,  Mr.  Robinson !  "  came 
ringingly.  "  Just  in  time  to  save  me  from  a  dull  evening 
that  was  lying  in  wait  for  just  such  a  dismal  day." 

"  Afraid  of  your  own  thoughts  ?  "  he  laughed.  "  I  can 
only  add  to  the  dullness.  How  is  Mr.  Bronski  ? '' 

"  Oh,"  — the  voice  became  spiritless — "  better.  He 
begins  to  forget  to  take  his  medicines.  You  want  some 
tea,  of  course  ; " — rising  from  the  seat  into  which  she  had 
flung  herself. 

"  Let's  wait  for  Hindman.  He  left  me  on  the  corner 
on  his  way  to  a  patient ;  but  promised  to  be  here." 

"  Yes  ?  "  She  sought  her  seat  again.  "  I  wonder  if 
a  few  more  will  look  me  up  this  evening  ?  From  now  on 
I  must  have  many  people  here.  Fortunately,  so  many 
have  learnt  to  like  the  place  ; " — with  a  glance  about  her. 

To  the  visitor  the  dark  hair,  soft  brown  eyes,  and  finely- 
shaped  nose  were  pleasingly  harmonious  in  the  diffused 
light  of  the  lamp's  globe.  He  said  abruptly  : 

"  They'll  come.  Chilly  weather  and  long  evenings  are 
sure  to  bring  them.*' 


WORSHIPPERS  7 

"  And  where  can  they  find  so  many  people  to  disagree 
with  them  ? "  she  laughed.  "  It  is  certainly  never  dull 
you  will  admit." 

"  If  brilliancy  is  measured  by  noise,"  scoffed  the  visitor. 
"  But  there  is  a  possibility  that  we  shall  have  an  excep 
tional  year  of  it,  unless  I  am  mistaken.  We  are  promised 
a  distinguished  visitor  from  New  York." 

"  Quick  !  Who  ?  " 

She  leaned  forward  eagerly,  her  elbows  on  the  table, 
her  tapering  fingers  under  her  chin, — a  successful  pose  in 
one  of  the  photographs. 

"Alexander  Raman." 

He  smiled  at  the  magical  effect  of  the  name.  Her 
arms  came  down  quickly,  and  her  head  went  back  with 
the  surprise. 

"  Raman  !  — the  poet ! " 

"  Yes.  He  is  to  stay  here  for  some  time.  It  may  be 
that  he  wants  quiet  for  work — " 

"Yes!  Yes!  That's  it !  New  York  is  too  gloomy  in 
the  fall  months,"  she  said  softly,  with  haste,  lest  he  pause. 

"  So  he  wrote  Hindman,  who  is  all  stirred  up,  as  if  it 
was  going  to  prove  an  ordeal.  It  must  have  brought  the 
past  back  too  vividly.  You  did  not  meet  Raman  in 
New  York?" 

"  No.  "  Her  eyes  were  bent  dreamily  on  the  lamp. 
"  They  say  he  is  the  type  of  the  perfect  poet,  and  has 
not  at  all  been  harmed  by  his  former  life  in  the  tailor- 
shops." 

"  He's  a  Socialist,"  came  in  complaint. 

"  Oh,  no  ! "  Her  gesture  spoke  her  repugnance.  "  Not 
that !  An  Idealist !  He'll  not  be  tied  down  to  anything. 
You  can't  find  labels  for  such  men.  I  know  he  has  writ 
ten  workingmen's  songs  ;  but  he  is  really  above  it.  "  She 
went  on  in  Russian  :  "  He  may  indulge  his  sympathies ; 


8  WORSHIPPERS 

does  that  mean  he  has  much  in  common  with  the  crowd  ? 
Dr.  Hindman  will  have  to  bring  him." 

"  It's  the  only  place  in  Philadelphia  where  he  can  find 
a  semblance  of  real  culture,"  the  visitor  said  with  irony 
that  feared  itself. 

"  My  salon  ! "  the  woman  laughed  half-proudly.  And 
the  man  was  impatient  with  the  enlarged  mouth  that 
wiped  out  much  of  the  beauty  of  the  features.  "He 
can  get  a  measure  of  quiet  here  without  isolat 
ing  himself,"  she  mused  aloud.  Then,  rising  to  her  feet 
with  a  quick,  nervous  motion,  she  exclaimed  in  English, 

"  How  few  the  real  light-bearers  !  He  will  help  us 
much, — all  of  us  !  "  She  smiled  a  little  when  she  said,  "  I 
must  see  whether  I  have  some  cookies  with  which  to 
put  the  doctor  in  good  humor.  Here  is  a  magazine 
article  entitled  '  Culture  and  the  Stage  '  by  an  actress 
who  believes  that  she  has  done  much  with  both.  Don't 
dare  to  praise  it ! " 

The  book  was  thrown  to  him,  and  she  slipped  out, 
while  he  settled  himself  for  a  careful  perusal  of  the 
scorned  article  which  promised  a  discussion  ;  and  he  was 
soon  gathering  arguments  for  a  defense. 

Once  he  glanced  up  from  the  pages  to  the  photographs 
of  the  woman  who  had  left  the  room.  He  mused : 
"  They  haven't  been  fair  to  her.  She  has  all  these  quali 
ties, — every  one  !  And  yet  what  sort  of  a  hearing  has 
she  been  granted  ? " 

The  lady  in  question  returned  to  be  greeted  with  : 

"  The  article  is  a  mighty  good  one.     She — " 

"  — Is  thinking  of  herself  ;  and  I  never  discovered  the 
subtilty  in  her  acting  over  which  every  so-called  critic 
raves." 

"  She  has  a  remarkable  intellect — " 

There  was   a   long  wrangle  in  which  she  sustained 


WORSHIPPERS  9 

her  part  with  growing  excitement,  until  sharp  tones  keyed 
themselves  to  a  refusal  to  allow  him  speech.  When  he 
found  that  he  could  not  talk  down  the  tempest,  he  sub 
sided.  She  finished  with  a  show  of  pity  for  his  reason 
ing. 

A  ring  of  the  bell  silenced  her. 

"  Hindman,"  said  the  visitor  when  he  heard  the  curt 
words  addressed  to  the  girl  who  opened  the  door.  "  It 
appears  we  shall  have  the  quiet  of  only  three  disputants 
this  evening." 

The  doctor  seemed  to  fill  the  room.  After  a  perfunc 
tory  greeting,  he  inquired  in  ludicrously  softened  tones : 

"  I  wonder  how  soon  you  could  satisfy  a  tea-thirsty 
man,  Mrs.  Bronski  ? " 

"We  have  only  been  waiting  for  the  thirst." 

Gas  jets  illuminated  the  simple  dining  room  where 
three  glasses  filled  with  tea,  in  which  slices  of  lemon 
floated,  stood  ready  on  spotless  linen. 

"  An  inspiration!  Dramatic  promptness  !  "  smiled  the 
physician  as  he  reached  out  for  the  sugar  bowl.  And  to 
cover  his  indecorous  haste  he  said  petulantly,  "  The  chilly 
days  have  returned.  They  talk  of  punishment  after  death 
when  they  give  us  a  climate  like  this !  " 

"  The  period  of  preparation,"  suggested  Robinson. 

"  Well,  the  chill  is  not  going  to  terrify  us  this  year," 
said  the  hostess.  "  At  least,  such  has  been  the  news." 

"  Oh,  you  mean  that!'  The  physician  stirred  his  tea 
slowly  and  thoughtfully. 

"  Yes  :  Raman! "  Mrs  .Bronski  leaned  forward,  gazing 
earnestly  at  the  cold  features  of  the  preoccupied  man. 
"  I  am  glad  ;  very  glad." 

Dr.  Hindman's  grey  eyes  almost  disappeared  under 
the  heavy  lids  as  he  smilingly  murmured,  "  You  forget 
the  poor  glow-worms  who  will  fear  the  sun." 


10  WORSHIPPERS 

A  scorniul  sweep  of  the  hand  was  the  answer.  The 
third  party  watched  the  scene  in  silence. 

"  You  must  bring  him,"  the  lady  ordered.  And  then 
she  asked  hesitatingly,  "  Don't  you  think  I  ought  to  in 
vite  some  people  ? — Or  are  we  sufficient  unto  ourselves  ? " 

"  In  awe  of  him  already  ? "  said  the  doctor  with  ac 
cented  quietness  in  Russian.  "  Do  not  be  afraid  ;  he  will 
not  startle  you.  He  is  liable  to  lapse  into  nonsense 
like  any  two-legged  animal;  and  always  likes  praise, 
although  no  doubt,  he  has  learnt  to  like  it  best  if  put 
with  care.  Between  times  he  does  work  which  helps 
us  forget  his  other  failings." 

"  Splendid !  "  came  with  a  touch  of  indignation  from 
the  hostess. 

"  But  he  is  a  very  approachable  man,  I  hear,"  the  other 
visitor  hastened  to  assure  her.  "  If  I  were  in  your  place, 
I  would  give  him  a  quiet  evening.  A  chat  across  the 
table,  you  know." 

"  Yes,  I  wouldn't  overdo  it,"  the  physician  suddenly 
said.  "  And  now,  what  else  have  you  found  of  interest 
in  our  world  ? " 

Mrs.  Bronski  at  once  mentioned  the  magazine  article 
which  had  already  served  as  a  battle-ground  ;  and  at  once 
the  talk  swung  to  quick-stroke  criticism  of  the  realistic 
drama  and  of  one  of  its  masters  upon  whom  the  physi 
cian  held  forth  exhaustively.  The  hostess  decried  the 
tendency  of  the  school. 

"Because  what  is  required  is  to  stand  away  from 
the  work  to  get  its  intention,  its  philosophy,"  said  Dr. 
Hindman  with  deliberateness  which  bespoke  superiority ; 
"  and  you  would  have  it  shout  plainly  out  of  all  the  lines. 
Must  we  who  live  in  the  midst  of  so  many  currents  of 
thought  be  satisfied  with  trifling  ?  He  does  not  write  for 
children." 


WORSHIPPERS  11 

"  He  is  unplayable  except  to  pretentious  people,  to 
people  who  pose  intellectually,"  was  the  hostess'  last 
stand. 

"  Well,  for  goodness*  sake,  don't  glorify  the  primitive ! " 
exclaimed  the  doctor. 

They  speedily  made  truce  over  gossip  which  first 
flayed  unmercifully,  and  then  handsomely  condoned. 

In  the  midst  of  it,  the  door  opened  to  admit  a  man  who 
still  held  the  latch  key  as  he  greeted  them.  Hindman, 
extending  his  hand,  cried,  "  You  are  looking  well !  " 
turning  for  support  to  Mrs.  Bronski  who  inclined  her 
head. 

Robinson  said  familiarly,  ' '  Time  for  last  year's  over 
coat." 

"  For  the  overcoat  of  a  year  before  last,"  came  like  a 
gurgle  from  between  blackened  teeth  that  were  few  in 
number.  "  I  suppose  you  young  people  complain  of  the 
chill.  You  have  no  blood.  At  your  years  I  could  sleep 
out  of  doors  in  the  middle  of  winter." 

"  And  now  at  fifty-five  ? "  came  from  the  woman 
evenly,  the  vexation  she  felt  absent  from  her  tone. 

"  I  really  believe  I  am  younger  than  any  of  you."  And 
the  stooped  shoulders  were  thrust  back. 

"No  blood  and  no  hair,"  smiled  Hindman,  as  he 
stroked  his  own  almost  bald  head. 

"  In  that  I  boast  of  my  youth  no  longer."  And  the 
other  touched  the  few  hairs  that  stood  out  behind  his 
ears. 

The  doctor  asked : 

"  You  are  busy  ? " 

"  Busy  ?  No.  And  I  got  a  new  list  of  prices  for 
drugs  to-day.  Of  course  they're  higher ;  and  you  can't 
expect  that  poor  people  will  pay  more  for  medicines. 
And  then  there's  the  new  drug-store  not  two  blocks 


12  WORSHIPPERS 

away."      The   words   came   out   in   jerky  fashion,  the 
lower  jaw  trembling  with  excitement. 

Robinson's  attempted  pleasantry  of  :  "  Why  shouldn't 
they  pay  dear  for  being  sick  ?  "  passed  off  unnoticed. 

"  I  don't  see  how  they  stand  it !  "  Bronski  muttered 
as  he  found  a  seat ;  and  with  a  sigh,  gathered  his  stumpy 
fingers  together  before  him  on  the  table,  and  absently 
stared  at  his  wife. 

"  I  sent  you  two  prescriptions,"  said  Hindman. 

"  The  boy  must  have  filled  one.  Mine  did  not  look 
like  a  long  case." 

"  Just  now  there  is  a  lull." 

"  Oh,  enough  of  your  shop ! "  growled  Robinson. 
"  Let  me  tell  you  some  news,  Mr.  Bronski." 

"  Something  really  interesting  ? "  was  asked  listlessly. 

"  Perhaps  not  as  interesting  as  sick  people ;  but  bear 
able.  Alexander  Raman  is  coming  for  quite  a  stay." 

Bronski  lifted  his  head  from  the  glass  of  milk  which 
the  servant  girl  had  brought  him,  the  contents  of  which 
he  was  ready  to  transfer  to  his  mouth  with  a  spoon. 

"  So  !  When  ?  " 

"  To-morrow." 

The  head  of  the  house  brightened  up ;  and  growing 
cheerfully  enthusiastic,  held  forth  : 

"  That's  a  man  I  could  read  with  satisfaction,  who  had 
always  something  to  say.  And  when  I  occasionally  get 
hold  of  him  now,  I  find  that  he  doesn't  put  pen  to  paper 
for  nothing.  Why,  in  God's  name,  he  doesn't  shake 
himself  loose  from  his  old  friends,  I  don't  see  !  They 
must  bother  the  life  out  of  him  with  their  restlessness 
and  their  quarrels.  You  can  realize  how  disturbed  he  is, 
in  the  articles  he  writes." 

"  It's  only  his  old  friends  that  perpetuate  Yiddish," 
said  the  doctor  as  he  sweetened  his  third  glass  of  tea. 


WORSHIPPERS  13 

"  But  there  is  an  appreciative  set  above  them  he  can 
appeal  to  that  doesn't  openly  show  it  cares  for  Yiddish," 
persisted  Bronski. 

"Above  or  below,"  cried  Mrs.  Bronski,  "it  is  all  the 
same  to  him.  He  does  as  his  soul  counsels." 

"  It's  a  question.  With  fools  like  that  weighing  him 
down !  "  And  her  husband  shrugged  his  shoulders  in 
disgust. 

"  Oh,  he  shakes  them  off  once  in  awhile,"  said  Robin 
son.  "  He  really  writes  in  two  styles.  One's  his  Sab 
bath  style  of  high  art ;  and  the  other  keeps  on  the  high 
hat  of  the  Sabbath,  and  walks  in  the  cracked  shoes  of  our 
everyday  world.  Though  he  is  getting  to  keep  on  his 
good  clothes  most  of  the  time." 

Hindman  looked  his  surprise  at  the  flow  of  wit ;  Mrs. 
Bronski  speedily  complimented  it. 

"  I  have  been  reading  a  novelist  whose  dialogue 
walks  on  stilts,"  Robinson  explained  with  a  grin.  "  It 
makes  a  fellow  feel  unusually  bright,  I  want  to  tell 
you." 

"  Unfortunately,  for  only  a  short  period,"  Hindman 
added  between  sips  of  his  tea. 

Robinson,  overlooking  the  personal  nature  of  the  re 
mark,  ventured  : 

"  I  sometimes  feel  that  few  in  our  community  know 
how  to  make  a  conversation  flow  smoothly  and  interest- 
ingly." 

Mrs.  Bronski  shook  with  laughter. 

"  They  engage  in  smooth  conversation !  "  she  cried. 

"  But  see  what  importance  they  attach  to  their  chatter," 
Robinson  said  in  protest. 

"  Well,  study  up  your  impossible  society  novelists," 
Hindman  remarked  with  a  show  of  impatience  for  the 
other's  superior  tone,  "  and  get  up  conversation  circles. 


14  WORSHIPPERS 

It's  not  bad  practice,  since  it  will  teach  you  how  to  make 
half  a  thought  last  an  indefinite  period." 

"  That's  about  what  the  trouble  was  with  the  novel," 
Robinson  confessed  amiably. 

The  admission  encouraged  the  doctor  to  begin  an  as 
sault  upon  a  school  of  fiction  with  acrimony  that  recog 
nized  no  laws  of  criticism. 

"  You  are  unusually  indignant  to-night,"  Robinson 
said  in  an  unguarded  moment. 

"  And  you  are  one  of  those  who  read  everything,  and 
pretend  to  like  only  the  best,  and  manage  to  enjoy  non 
sense,"  was  flung  at  him. 

In  the  quiet  that  ensued,  Bronski  asked  his  wife : 

"  Dear,  did  you  meet  Raman  in  New  York  ?  " 

"  No,"  she  explained.  "  He  wasn't  the  important 
person  he  is  now."  And  turning  to  the  doctor,  she  said, 
"  I  believe  you  learnt  to  know  him  while  you  were  in  the 
trades-union  movement  in  New  York,  did  you  not  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Our  poet-tailor  used  to  recite  his  lines  in 
strike  times,  when  everything  that  helped  to  keep  up  the 
courage  of  the  men  counted.  We  made  friends  because 
I  happened  to  quote  from  a  poem  of  his  that  he  read  just 
before  I  followed  him  as  speaker.  He  would  have  done 
anything  for  me  after  that." 

"You  will  find  him  changed,"  Robinson  remarked, 
using  the  opportunity  to  balance  accounts. 

"  We  have  all  changed,"  sighed  the  doctor.  Then  he 
shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  said,  "  I  don't  think  he  and 
I  will  get  along.  He  always  carried  handfuls  of  con 
soling  thoughts  in  his  frock-coat  pocket  for  distribution. 
He  has  not  suffered  much.  I  don't  mean  physical  suf 
fering." 

"  Perhaps  he  has  been  strong,"  Bronski  mumbled 
sleepily. 


WORSHIPPERS  15 

"  Ah,  no  !  The  world  always  patted  him  on  the  back. 
You'll  see !  You'll  see !  Like  a  child,  he  won't  look  at 
a  wrong  as  the  reverse  side  of  actuality.  Sentimental 
people  would  say  he  was  all  soul." 

"  You  mean  he  has  no  use  for  materialism,"  the 
woman  said. 

"  Any  form  of  it."  The  woman  lowered  her  eyes.  "  I 
suppose  it  will  surprise  him  to  find  what  I  am." 

"  Don't  you  think  it  would  surprise  you  too  ?  "  Rob 
inson  asked. 

"  Why  repeat  the  charge  of  inconsistency  ?  Mrs.  Bron- 
ski  says  I  am  a  materialist.  She  isn't  always  consistent. 
But  the  word  to  a  certain  extent  interprets  my  attitude 
towards  the  great  problems." 

"  All  the  time  ?  "  the  hostess  asked,  rising  and  throw 
ing  one  of  the  doors  of  the  front  room  open  to  get  rid  of 
the  cigarette  smoke. 

"  What  a  time  you  people  must  have  discussing 
me  when  I  am  not  here ! "  the  doctor  cried  cheer 
fully. 

"  Vain  man  !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Bronski.  "  Aren't 
there  other  people  with  faults  ?  " 

"  Ah,  only  little  ones.  Mine  are  so  glaring  in  the 
light  of  their  logic, — the  logic  of  our  friends.  Here,  for 
instance,  is  the  charge  of  inconsistency." 

"  But  I  said  it  because — "  Robinson  began. 

"  Because  I  do  not  realize  your  ideal, — I  do  not  pattern 
myself  after  the  many  about  me.  Really,  they  ought  to 
be  satisfied :  I  am  food  for  endless  discussion.  Perhaps 
they  want  me  to  be  amusing." 

"  What  makes  you  imagine  that  you  are  a  failure  that 
way  ?"  Robinson  grinned. 

Mrs.  Bronski  interposed  for  peace.  "  I  advise  you  to 
settle  your  difficulties  all  at  once,"  she  counselled. 


16  WORSHIPPERS 

"  Although  I  believe  that  the  doctor  is  very  forgiving, — 

really ! " 

"  You  don't  realize  our  method  of  keeping  on  good 
terms,"  Robinson  hastened  to  say. 

"And  are  you  on  good  terms  with  your  dental 
studies  ?  "  Bronski  asked. 

"  I  suppose  I  shall  be  accustomed  to  the  poetry  of 
the  profession  by  the  time  it  secures  me  a  living." 

"  With  the  same  application  to  your  singing  you  might 
have  made  something  of  that,"  said  the  hostess. 

"  After  all,  one  is  human  enough  to  want  comforts," 
argued  Robinson.  "  Why  should  I  not  pay  the  other 
fellow  for  his  songs  ?  Perhaps  I  am  very  little  of  the  man 
with  a  purpose  in  life.  The  environment  is  not  condu 
cive  to  fighting." 

"  Oh,  I  gave  up  all  hope  of  your  spiritual  survival  long 
ago,"  Mrs.  Bronski  scolded. 

"  A  dig  at  you  by  proxy,"  said  Robinson  to  the  doctor. 

"  I  intend  to  show  the  community  what  a  man  it  is 
losing  in  your  swing  to  the  material,"  said  Mrs.  Bronski. 
"  I  have  been  thinking  of  presenting  a  play  before  some 
society  that  would  give  a  dance  with  it.  The  novelty 
of  the  thing  will  make  it  pay.  I  intend  to  cast  you  for 
a  role." 

Disregarding  the  seriousness  of  the  proposition,  Rob 
inson  plunged  into  a  recital  of  the  balcony  scene  from 
1  Romeo  and  Juliet,'  and  left  the  lady  the  more  decided 
on  the  venture,  for  which  Hindman  had  not  a  word. 

"  I  don't  think  it  would  pay,"  protested  Bronski. 

"  We  would  not  want  the  money,"  said  his  wife. 
"  The  interest  in  the  play  would  be  the  reward." 

Which  made  him  grumble,  "They  are  not  worth 
throwing  one's  time  away  on.  They  are  thankless." 

"  It  is  the  joy  of  the  thing,"  Mrs.  Bronski  persisted. 


WORSHIPPERS  17 

"  We  will  make  it  above  their  heads  so  as  to  enjoy  their 
stupidity." 

"  Dear —  ! "  he  murmured  helplessly. 

"  If  only  Mr.  Raman  would  make  his  d^but  in  Phila 
delphia  by  writing  us  a  play."  She  looked  over  at  the 
doctor. 

"  Raman  hasn't  the  grip  on  English,"  he  said. 

"  And  those  that  would  make  such  a  thing  pay — the 
younger  generation — know  next  to  nothing  of  Russian," 
came  from  Robinson. 

Hindman  rose  to  his  feet. 

"  You  will  bring  him  here  ? "  Katherine  asked,  with 
detaining  fingers  upon  his  sleeve. 

"  If  he  will  care  to  come."  And  the  doctor  made 
amends  by  saying,  "  I  will  telephone  you." 

«  Many  thanks." 

The  deserted  street  rang  with  the  footsteps  of  the  two 
men.  Hindman  stared  dully  before  him.  His  com 
panion,  who  had  been  busy  with  an  operatic  air,  paused 
to  say  : 

"  Bring  Raman  around.  She  is  very  dispirited.  I 
suppose  you  saw  it." 

"  She'll  bore  him." 

"  You  haven't  eyes  in  your  head  :  she  can  entertain. 
She  does  even  you.  You  ought  to  have  a  good  word  for 
her,  if  for  no  one  else.  She  deserves  the  respect  of  any 
man." 

Hindman  asked  for  a  cigarette,  and  lighting  it,  went 
on,  quiet  to  his  companion's  stream  of  talk. 


18  WORSHIPPERS 


CHAPTER  II 

KATHERINE  BRONSKI,  in  a  gown  of  soft 
brown,  with  a  carnation  in  the  luxuriant  hair 
that  curled  back  simply  from  the  broad  forehead, 
and  a  turquoise  ring  upon  a  white  finger,  stood  musing 
over  the  table  in  the  sitting  room,  her  hands  lightly  rest 
ing  upon  the  white  cloth. 

"  Will  it  mean  much  to  me  ?  A  noble  soul.  A  relief 
after  the  failures  with  which  I  am  surrounded,  and  who 
almost  consider  me  one  of  them.  No  !  No  !  "  with  hor 
ror  and  grief.  "  I  have  time  to  do  something.  I  am 
not  beaten  entirely  ! — merely  thrust  back  for  the  time  be 
ing.  Ah,  to  have  success  put  out  its  hand  to  us  !  I  am 
cheered  already.  The  hypnotism  of  success  !  " 

She  went  to  the  front  room,  and  tried  to  lend  herself 
to  the  lines  of  a  book  ;  the  effort  persisted  but  for  a  few 
moments.  Her  eyes  snapped  with  the  thought  that  she 
could  gather  about  her  the  best  minds  in  the  commu 
nity  ;  which  implied  the  power  to  attract,  to  hold,  to  fas 
cinate.  It  must  be  in  part  because  of  the  intensity  of 
her  ambitions,  she  told  herself.  Even  Dr.  Hindman, 
cynical  and  self-contained,  could  not  resist  drifting  back 
after  periods  of  absence. 

"To  have  noble  friends!"  yearned  the  woman. 
"  Friends  whose  exultant  spirit,  knowing  not  defeat, 
would  spur  me  on  to  surmount  obstacles  !  " 

Her  hands  were  extended  as  if  in  mute  supplication, 
invoking  dreams  that  fled  before  the  stem  reality  of 


WORSHIPPERS  19 

the  past  years.  Despite  her  struggle,  she  remained 
chilled,  and  acknowledged  defeat  with  a  gasp  of  : 

"  If  nothing  more,  then  friends  !  " 

She  paced  the  room  until  relief  came  with  the  en 
trance  of  Robinson,  who  was  humming  cheerfully,  and 
who  burst  into  song  as  he  extended  his  hand.  Then 
he  chose  the  most  comfortable  seat,  and  from  its  depths 
said — to  announce  that  he  realized  why  she  was  gowned 
with  unusual  attractiveness —  : 

"  Raman  came  this  morning.  I  ran  across  the  *  Doc ' 
on  his  way  to  the  depot  while  I  was  going  to  college. 
I  suppose  he  telephoned." 

"  Yes.  Then  you,  too,  are  eager !  "  she  cried.  "  Con 
fess  ! " 

"  Yes.  Why  not  ?  The  more  entertainers  in  this 
world,  the  pleasanter.  Otherwise  we  have  too  much 
time  to  think  of  ourselves."  He  hummed  again  while 
turning  over  the  pages  of  a  book  whose  cover  had  caught 
his  eye.  He  suddenly  asked  :  "  What  have  you  been 
doing  lately  ? " 

"  Nothing ;  or  rather,  reading  everything  I  could  lay 
hands  on,  and  trying  to  keep  my  eyes  on  the  pages.  It 
might  be  called  resting.  Oh,  if  only  Mr.  Bronski  had 
been  well  last  year !  I  would  have  had  work  with  the 
company  this  year ;  and  it  is  going  in  for  serious  work, 
I  hear." 

"  Unfortunate  !  "  murmured  Robinson.  "  So  you  will 
do  nothing  this  winter  ?  It  is  sure  to  wear  you  out. 
You  make  a  mistake.  Throw  yourself  into  any  kind  of 
work." 

"  I  may  open  a  school  of  elocution."  His  silence  led 
her  to  say,  "  You  are  inwardly  setting  me  down  for  a 
fool.  But  I  really  fear  the  word  <  rest '  that  Mr.  Bronski 
uses  so  often.  And  then  he  isn't  doing  so  well  in  his 


20  WORSHIPPERS 

drug-store.  I  begin  to  realize  what  it  means  for  the 
bird  that  longs  for  the  free  air,  but  gets  accustomed  to 
leaping  from  stick  to  stick.  Do  you  think  /  will  ? " 

She  rose  with  the  ambition-flash  in  eye  and  mien,  a 
Lady  Macbeth  to  his  sympathetic  imagination ;  and  he 
pitied  her. 

Finding  the  chair  after  an  interval,  she  spoke  of 
Raman. 

"  I  am  curious.  On  my  last  visit  to  New  York  I 
almost  decided  to  ask  for  an  introduction.  Somehow,  I 
hesitated.  It  would  be  like  thrusting  myself  upon  him  : 
you  understand.  Ah  ! — " 

The  door-bell  had  rung,  emptying  the  room  of  all  sound 
save  the  ticking  of  a  small  china  clock  on  the  bookcase. 

"  Magil,"  the  woman  breathed,  disappointed. 

And  a  rosy-cheeked  boy  of  twenty,  with  features  that 
were  classic  Greek  in  outline,  burst  in,  laughing  his 
greeting,  and  shaking  hands  with  uproarious  mirth. 

"  Signer  Robinsono,  I  saw  you  strutting  down  the 
street  scrutinizing  every  brick  in  the  pavement ! "  he 
cried. 

"Thoughts  turned  inwards; — that's  all.  Didn't  mean 
to  miss  you,"  was  the  answer. 

"Glad  I  didn't  break  in  on  so  sacred  a  moment. 
Well,  how  we  are  gotten  up  !  "  with  a  sweeping  glance  of 
admiration  for  the  woman. 

"An  occasion,  boy !"  she  answered. 

"  Thanks  !  Yes,  I  have  been  away  as  long  as  a  week ; 
but  how  did  you  know  that  I  was — " 

She  flung  a  pamphlet  at  him  which  he  dexterously 
caught,  and  read  aloud,  "  'In  Defence  of  Free  Speech.' " 

"  Do  they  mean  to  take  the  bread  out  of  our  mouths  ? " 
he  queried  dolorously. 

"  Oh,  it's  a  protest  against  police  interference  with 


WORSHIPPERS  21 

radical  meetings,"  explained  Robinson,  "  I  suppose  the 
fact  that  you  haven't  been  here  for  a  week  is  explained 
by  your  application  at  the  Law  School." 

"  Oh,  we've  got  the  other  fellow  about  ready  for  skin 
ning.  But  jokes  aside,  madam,  what  is  the  matter? 
You  look  dangerously  solemn.  /  came  to  be  enter 
tained." 

"  S'hush,  Tommy  !  A  great  man  is  to  be  here  to 
day." 

"  What 's  he  done  to  deserve  it  ? " 

"  It 's  Alexander  Raman,"  she  said  with  grave  deliber- 
ateness  that  failed  to  impress  him. 

"  What  is  he  ? — an  escaped  Nihilist  ? " 

"  Oh,  this  American  generation  of  not-whats  !  Don't 
you  really  know  who  Raman  is  ?  " 

"  Well,  he's  a  lucky  fellow  to  be  made  such  an  ado 
over,  whoever  he  may  be.  There  are  a  few  celebrities 
who  do  not  know  me — " 

"  He's  a  poet,"  said  the  woman  with  a  seriousness  that 
failed  to  check  him. 

"  Ha  !  And  now,  will  you  please  tell  us  what  we 
have  done  to  deserve  this  ? " 

She  could  not  restrain  a  smile  at  his  rush  for  the  door. 

"  Silly  Tommy,  he's  the  greatest  writer  in  Yiddish  we 
have." 

"  A  poet  in  Yiddish  !  Worse  !  Did  you  ever  hear  of 
such  an  incongruity  ?  Think  of  l  How  sweet  the  moon 
light  sleeps  upon  the  bank '  being  twisted  into  Yiddish  ! 
It's  a  wonderful  age  !  " 

This  time  the  ring  at  the  door  bell  was  timid. 

"  Hardly  Hindman  !  "  said  Robinson. 

Magil's  "  Come  in  ! "  followed  a  slight  knock  upon  the 
sitting-room  door.  A  groping  for  the  handle  ended  in 
the  entrance  of  a  girl  of  twenty,  daintily  gotten  up,  short, 


22  WORSHIPPERS 

well-formed,  and  with  blazing  black  eyes  that  mocked  her 
demureness. 

Both  men  bowed.  Robinson  greeted  her  in  Russian, 
while  the  lady  of  the  house  shook  hands  without  more 
than  perfunctory  politeness.  The  handshaking  was  re 
peated  with  both  the  other  visitors,  and  the  girl  shyly 
found  a  seat. 

Russian  alone  was  spoken  now,  much  to  young  Magil's 
annoyance.  He  buried  himself  in  the  pages  of  a  book 
from  which  he  would  occasionally  emerge  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  wonderful  eyes  of  the  new-comer. 

Robinson  had  asked  for  news  from  Russia. 

"  Oh,  it  is  heartbreaking !  "  was  the  reply.  "  A  cousin 
of  mine  happened  to  forget  to  hide  some  pamphlets,  'and 
now  he  is  in  for  five  years.  The  prisons  are  full.  But 
it  ought  not  to  last.  It  will  not !  More  and  more  the 
people  are  being  roused.  It  is  not  human  to  bear  so 
much ! "  The  face  paled  with  suppressed  emotion. 
Magil  asked  Mrs.  Bronski  to  interpret. 

"  She  is  outraged  by  conditions  in  Russia." 

"  I  suppose  she  is  kicking  her  heels  with  glee  at  being 
here,"  he  remarked. 

"  Not  at  all,"  said  Robinson.  "  Only  yesterday  she 
told  me  that  she  was  thinking  of  going  back  to  help  in 
the  fight.  Queer  how  some  people  can  do  things  ! " 

"Not  you,"  laughed  Mrs.  Bronski.  "You'd  drink 
your  tea  with  enjoyment  in  Purgatory." 

"  Be  precise :  sulphur.  But  you  needn't  boast  of 
any  great  interest  in  the  old  country,"  he  retorted. 

Magil  was  staring  at  the  girl  as  upon  some  sense- 
startling  being ;  and  strove  to  realize  the  intended  sacri 
fice. 

"  Oh,  we'll  all  get  civilized  by  and  by  !  "  he  broke  in 
with  an  attempt  at  seriousness. 


WORSHIPPERS  23 

"  What  will  you  lawyers  do  for  a  living  ? "  was  Rob 
inson's  query. 

"  Turn  to  dentistry.  Trust  civilization  to  do  up  a 
man's  means  of  digestion  !  "  And  he  displayed  a  row 
of  white  teeth  in  a  broad  grin. 

They  quieted  down  at  the  sound  of  the  bell. 

"That's  Hindman,"  said  Magil.  "He  has  such  a 
modest  way  of  announcing  himself  that  one  fears  for 
one's  door  bell." 

"  Raman  the  poet  must  be  with  him,"  Mrs.  Bronski 
confided  to  the  girl  visitor. 

"  Mr.  Robinson  spoke  of  a  chance  of  meeting  him  if 
I  came  here  to-night,  when  he  saw  me  yesterday,"  the 
latter  confessed. 

Hindman  entered,  and  with  him  a  man  medium  in 
height,  garbed  in  black,  his  light  curling  hair  brushed 
back  from  a  prominent  forehead  that  shaded  boyish  eyes 
of  blue. 

"Mr.  Raman, — Mrs.  Bronski,  Mr.  Magil,  Mr.  Robin 
son,  Miss  Rovno,"  Hindman  said  briefly,  indicating  each 
person  with  a  nod  of  the  head. 

Raman  took  their  hands  firmly.  When  Miss  Rovno 
said  in  Russian,  "  It  is  an  honor,"  he  replied  in  the  same 
language,  softly,  "  Always  an  honor  for  a  man  or  woman 
to  know  another  in  our  small  world." 

Mrs.  Bronski  touched  his  hand  last.  His  quiet  gaze 
allowed  her  to  reason,  "  Hindman  has  told  him  nothing 
about  me."  She  asked  him  to  be  seated. 

"  How  quiet  your  city  is  ! "  Raman  said.  "  There  is 
not  so  much  bustle  on  your  stage  ;  although  behind  the 
scenes  all  things  must  be  as  with  us,  I  suppose." 

He  spoke  in  Yiddish.  Mrs.  Bronski  concluded : 
"  He  has  had  sufficient  time  to  find  out  to  whose  house 
he  was  going." 


24  WORSHIPPERS 

Hindman  had  said  curtly  : 

"  The  same  tinsel,  masks,  and  colored  lights." 

Mrs.  Bronski  added  : 

"  And  the  players  and  their  lines." 

"  Other  people's  lines,"  the  doctor  hastened  to  say. 

"  Yes,  but  you  forget  the  applause ! "  cried  Mrs. 
Bronski. 

All  drew  their  chairs  closer,  aware  of  the  straining 
after  cleverness. 

"  Ah,  if  we  could  only  stand  off  and  turn  clear  eyes 
upon  it,"  said  Raman;  and  then,  after  a  pause  smilingly, 
"Why  are  you  so  harsh  with  the  tinsel,  Hindman? 
You  forget  how  much  we  have  to  borrow.  Is  it  still  the 
desire  with  you  to  shake  all  things  to  pieces,  and  to  be 
gin  all  over  again  ?  " 

"  Oh,  he  is  all  for  the  shaking  of  things,"  laughed 
Mrs.  Bronski. 

"  And  grown  tired  of  the  other  ?  He  must  have  dis 
covered  that  men  are  more  like  mercury  than  clay.  I 
have  only  to-day  learnt  what  I  should  have  suspected 
from  his  long  silence  ;  not  that  he  does  not  quarrel  on 
the  right  side  ;  but  that  he  does  not  quarrel  at  all !  " 

"  Perhaps  I  enjoy  standing  off — "  began  Hindman 
haughtily. 

"  You  !  Ah,  my  friend,  some  drug  must  have  stifled 
your  restlessness.  If  you  could  but  see  him  as  I  often 
did," — to  the  others — "facing  those  beautifully-intent, 
ecstacy-bound  listeners,  and  hear  his  protest  of,  'Must 
we  paint  pictures  only  to  amuse  you  ?  Do  you  not  feel 
that  striving  impulse  that  hurls  you  at  the  heavens  ? ' 
You  see," — apologetically — "  he  supposed  that  only  you 
would  be  strangers  to  me."  And  bending  forward, 
Raman  laid  his  hand  upon  the  doctor's  knee.  Hindman 
was  annoyed. 


WORSHIPPERS  25 

"  Surely  you  have  tea  !  "  he  said  to  the  hostess. 

She  started  as  if  it  had  been  a  shout  into  slumbering 
ears.  Gathering  her  wits  together,  she  remarked  to  the 
poet: 

"  We  meet  all  difficulties  with  tea.'* 

"  Which  explains  why  we  are  heavy  drinkers,"  Robin 
son  laughed. 

Chatting,  they  passed  through  the  broad  doorway 
leading  into  the  dining  room.  Raman  had  his  hand  on 
the  doctor's  shoulder,  and  saw  him  into  a  seat  next  to  his 
own. 

Much  to  the  disgust  of  the  hostess,  Hindman  drew  the 
poet  into  a  discussion  of  the  merits  of  the  radical  news 
paper  to  which  the  latter  was  giving  both  time  and 
money.  Mrs.  Bronski  managed  to  extricate  the  guest  of 
honor  from  the  insufferably  prosaic  by  introducing  the 
topic  of  the  art  activity  on  the  other  side  of  the  ocean. 

Raman  was  optimistic.  "  The  great  changes  are 
moulding  the  New  Man.  His  work  is  sure  to  be  beyond 
our  dreams.  Whether  we  will  swing  to  the  subtly  com 
plex  makes  no  difference." 

The  hostess  interrupted  to  ask  : 

"  You  think  that  will  be  wise  ?  Are  we  not  going  too 
far  in  that  direction  already  ?  " 

"  The  beauty-instinct  of  the  race,  my  friend,  will  stop 
at  no  limits.  And,  after  all,  are  not  limit-makers  simply 
afraid  of  the  to-morrow  ? "  He  kindled  in  praise. 
"  Were  the  dreams  ever  bigger  than  now  ?  Could  the 
average  man  seize  as  much  of  truth  as  he  can  now  ? " 

"  Since  the  clowns  have  taken  to  art,"  sneered  Hind 
man. 

"  A  twist  in  the  times  that  makes  a  misuse  of  their 
higher  selves,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Whose  fault  ?  "   cried  Mrs.  Bronski. 


26  WORSHIPPERS 

"  Why  call  it  fault  ?  "  the  doctor  demanded.  "  Mankind 
delights  in  its  intellectual  clowns.  No  scholar  has  thought 
of  gaining  fame  by  writing  a  treatise  on  <  The  Amuse 
ment  Interpretation  of  History.'  " 

"  No  !  No  !  "  Mrs.  Bronski  protested  vehemently. 
"  Play  is  play  ;  and  ends  are  ends.  What  sweeping  state 
ments  you  make,  doctor  !  " 

She  fought  objections  with  strange  logic  and  leaping 
thought,  which  enlisted  Raman's  interest  if  not  his  sym 
pathy.  The  phrase  oftenest  upon  her  lips, — '  The  True, 
The  Good,  and  The  Beautiful ' — drove  the  doctor  to  ask 
impatiently : 

"  Will  you  please  enlighten  me  by  what  right  you  make 
use  of  those  three  words  in  speaking  of  man's  attempt  to 
interpret  life  as  he  lives  it  ?  " 

"  As  he  wishes  to  live  it,  is  the  only  way  to  explain  art, 
immortal  art,"  she  insisted. 

"  Tell  me,"  said  Miss  Rovno,  who  had  been  at  an  ad 
vantage  because  the  talk  had  been  confined  to  Russian 
and  Yiddish,  "  what  do  you  mean  by  art  ?  I  thought  I 
knew  ;  but  it  is  so  confusing  !  " 

Hindman  nodded  his  head,  and  smiled  flatteringly  upon 
her.  Katherine  Bronski  plunged  into  definitions  and  ex 
planations  of  definitions  until  she  was  breathless.  The 
doctor  hastened  to  say  : 

"  You  would  have  made  a  good  college  professor." 

"  After  all,"  said  Raman  hastily,  "  it  is  really  a  process 
of  hair-splitting.  It  may  be  healthy  ;  but  we  are  always 
too  prejudiced  to  arrive  at  any  conclusion,  in  spite  of  our 
opponent's  efforts." 

They  marvelled  that  he  had  not  thrust  forward  his 
word  as  authoritative  ;  and  Hindman,  who  had  watched 
him  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye,  grew  calm,  and  mused 
on  the  changes  which  the  years  had  brought. 


WORSHIPPERS  27 

A  period  of  silence  followed,  broken  only  by  the  clink 
of  glass  against  saucer.  The  poet  grew  restless  under 
the  glances  shot  in  his  direction,  and  turning  to  the  doctor, 
inquired  about  the  labor  movement  in  the  town  to  dis 
cover  how  much  his  old  friend  had  alienated  himself  from 
it. 

Hindman  began  mildly,  grew  ironical,  and  then  cried : 

"  The  parasitic  has  become  the  condition  of  the 
workers'  organization.  It  is  no  longer  important  to  have 
a  sense  of  class-solidarity.  Bayonet  thrusts  and  bullets 
are  useless  ;  they  accept  blows  and  sneers  as  a  matter  of 
course.  They  will  never  doubt  their  self-appointed 
leaders.  All  in  all  it  is  beneath  contempt.  The  devil 
take  them  ! " 

"  Oh,  it  is  merely  the  changing  years  when  the  boy's 
voice  is  marked  by  falsetto  notes,"  said  Raman  with  as 
surance.  "  You  will  see  the  flash  of  eye  soon  ;  and  he 
will  begin  to  realize  the  dreams  of  the  Wise  Men.  Un 
less," — putting  his  hand  on  the  doctor's  shoulder — "  all 
who  should  lead  do  not,  and  forget,  forget." 

"  It  is  fortunate  that  you  remember."  The  sneer  was 
perceptible. 

"Yes,  fortunate,— for  myself.  There  is  no  doubt 
about  the  motive  then.  Explain  it  that  way  if  you  wish 
to.  I  sometimes  wonder  if  there  is  any  other  use  for  the 
art-gift  that  has  been  loaned  me." 

Mrs.  Bronski  gave  a  little  cry  of  protest.  The  two 
men  ignored  her. 

"It  is  true  that  I  have  forgotten,"  said  Hindman 
bluntly.  "  I  haven't  been  loaned  any  gift  except  self- 
sufficiency.  If  you  prefer,  I  will  say  I  enjoy  standing 
off." 

The  poet  turned  the  conversation  into  different  chan 
nels,  unwilling  to  continue  the  scene  before  the  dis- 


28  WORSHIPPERS 

interested  spectators.  Among  other  things  he  made 
mention : 

"  I  met  sweet,  little,  round  Dr.  Ratner  to-day.  I  had 
no  difficulty  in  remembering  him.  He  was  the  finest 
listener  that  ever  dropped  in  on  our  New  York  crowd 
from  Philadelphia.  His  is  the  same  rotundity,  the  same 
wholesome  sweetness.  He  makes  the  world  look  very 
satisfying  by  his  mere  smile.  But  he  ended  up  by  scar 
ing  me  a  little.  He  wants  me  to  meet  certain  Goldmans 
the  day  after  to-morrow." 

"  You  agreed  to  go  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Bronski. 

"  Yes  ;  since  he  was  very  insistent.  And  who  are  the 
Goldmans  ? " 

"  Bourgeoisie,"  answered  Hindman,  rolling  the  word 
easily  off  his  tongue  as  if  from  habit.  "  Having  money, 
they  entertain.  A  new  departure  on  their  part :  they 
are  desirous  of  securing  a  standing  among  the  intellec 
tuals  of  the  community.  Whenever  my  sense  of  humor 
craves  for  delicacies,  I  go  to  see  them — in  the  company 
of  Ratner  who  is  really  an  able  fellow,  though  dreadfully 
lazy.  His  wife — a  member  of  the  Goldman  family — has 
to  arouse  him  to  duty  and  dollars  when  the  night-bell 
rings  by  using  a  wet  sponge.  If  you  were  a  novelist, 
the  Goldmans  would  interest  you  mightily.  All  that  is 
left  you  as  a  poet  is  to  go  and  enjoy  the  fine  table  they 
spread." 

"  Doc,  you're  a  paradoxical  cure  for  the  blues,"  chirped 
Magil. 

The  street  door  opened  and  closed. 

Katherine  Bronski,  into  whose  cheeks  the  color  stole, 
said  softly  : 

"  It  must  be  Mr.  Bronski.  He  could  really  not  find 
time  to  come  home  early  from  his  drug-store  though  he 
knew  you  were  to  be  here,  Mr.  Raman." 


WORSHIPPERS  29 

Before  the  latter  could  frame  a  suitable  reply,  David 
Bronski  entered.  He  was  slightly  confused  at  the  sight 
of  the  stranger,  but  quickly  extended  his  hand  when  his 
wife  said,  "  My  husband,  Mr.  Raman  ; "  and  hastened  to 
offer  his  excuses  for  his  late  appearance.  He  looked 
old  and  worn  as  he  stood  there  in  the  full  light,  the  few 
grey  hairs  at  all  angles,  the  jaw  hanging,  and  the  eyes  life 
less. 

Getting  into  a  seat  at  the  foot  of  the  table,  he  put  a 
multitude  of  questions  to  the  poet. 

"  Do  go  up  and  change  your  coat,"  Katherine  pleaded. 

"  Ah,  dear,  Mr.  Raman  will  excuse  a  man  who  is  too 
tired  to  think  of  his  personal  appearance,"  came  in  reply 
with  a  nervous  laugh. 

"  If  it  is  at  all  on  my  account,"  cried  Raman,  "  do  not 
put  yourself  out;"  and  continued  the  conversation  as 
though  there  had  been  no  interruption. 

Bronski  gave  expression  to  his  thoughts  bluntly,  and 
did  not  hesitate  to  differ,  even  to  the  point  of  vehemence, 
with  his  honored  guest. 

"  Mind,"  he  said  in  Russian,  "  I  do  not  say  that  I 
prefer  gloom  to  your  optimistic  view  of  men ;  but  they 
are  such  fools  most  of  the  time  !  See  how  they  accept 
what  even  a  dog  would  turn  against.  Or  if  they  bite, 
see  how  foolishly !  There  is  no  hope  in  them.  We 
must  appeal  to  those  above." 

"  There  is  no  above  for  appeal  outside  the  man  we  are 
talking  about,"  said  Raman,  his  voice  a  little  higher  than 
when  he  had  discussed  art.  "  Every  man  has  his  above 
and  below.  And  the  moment  seeks  it  out  in  that  man. 
It  is  unfortunate  when  we  must  ignore  most  those  con 
cerned  most." 

"  Yes,  yes, — but  that  brings  us  nowhere,"  Bronski 
protested.  "For  instance,  you  are  a  writer;  you  lead." 


30  WORSHIPPERS 

"  No  ;  I  merely  listen,  and  repeat.  If  I  did  not,  no 
one  would  understand  me.  Please  remember,  also,  that 
man  sees  his  way  clearer  than  he  has  ever  seen  it,  thanks 
to  the  many  currents  of  thought  in  which  he  moves.  He 
may  not  split  hairs ;  and  he  has  no  patience  for  the  man 
who  does.  Don't  forget  that  we  are  discussing  leader 
ship,  not  art ; " — which  last  saved  him  from  a  word 
onslaught  threatened  by  several. 

u  Then  there  is  no  leadership  ?  "  cried  Bronski. 

"  We  mean  different  things  by  the  word." 

"  It  is  strange,  certainly  strange  ! "  murmured  Bron 
ski.  "  You  depend  too  much  on  them.  They  will  bring 
up  nowhere." 

"  To  me  each  individual  is  the  sum  total  of  nature's 
dreams.  *  Purpose'  would  be  a  simpler  word." 

"  You  would  deny  the  degenerate,  then  ? "  asked 
Hindman. 

"  Now  you  are  forcing  me  upon  strange  ground.  You 
have  your  scientific  answer.  I  can  only  say  that  we  trail 
off  into  the  unknowable  at  each  end  of  our  reasoning." 

"  I  forgot  it  was  your  province  to  play  with  the  un 
knowable,"  scoffed  the  doctor. 

"  Oh,  my  dear  friend,  how  often  have  I  heard  you 
men  of  science  try  to  analyze  the  word  '  thought ' !  In 
your  generous  moments  you  allow  that  my  dreaming  is 
surer."  His  tone  was  sharp. 

"  How  vain ! "  laughed  the  doctor,  pleased  to  have 
shaken  his  composure. 

"  I  had  to  be  sure  of  something,"  Raman  laughed  in 
turn. 

Conversation  soon  spun  itself  out  on  frame  of  lighter 
mood. 

The  evening  had  gone  far  when  the  poet  got  to  his 
feet.  All  followed  his  example  except  Robinson,  who 


WORSHIPPERS  31 

felt  that  Mrs.  Bronski  would  wish  a  few  moments  with 
him  to  discuss  the  man  who  had  fallen  among  them. 

"  You  must  come  in  often  since  you  are  in  our  city, 
Mr.  Raman,"  Bronski  urged,  as  he  took  his  hand.  "  It 
will  be  a  pleasure." 

"  Yes,"  his  wife  added  simply. 

At  the  corner  of  the  street,  Hindman  and  the  poet 
parted  from  Miss  Rovno  and  Magil.  The  doctor  laughed 
as  soon  as  the  younger  people  were  out  of  hearing,  and 
explained  to  the  other  man  the  conversational  difficulties 
which  threatened  the  youthful  pair. 

"  No  matter,"  said  the  poet.  "  He  is  a  fine-looking 
boy,  and  she  does  not  lack  beauty.  Trust  mother  nature 
to  invent  a  common  language  where  every  sound  will 
have  a  multitude  of  meanings.  It's  a  beautiful  night, 
Hindman." 

"From  the  inside  of  your  skull  out,"  was  the  re 
joinder. 

At  the  home  of  the  Bronskis  all  were  silent  imme 
diately  following  the  departure  of  the  guests.  Then 
Katherine  said  softly  to  Robinson  : 

"  Well—? " 

"  I  like  him.  He  is  stubbornly  simple ;  refuses  to 
talk  over  our  heads.  And  that  is  surprising  when  one 
remembers  his  dreamer's  life." 

"  He  does  not  pose,"  said  the  woman. 

"  Too  much  faith,"  commented  Bronski. 

"A  straw  enough  for  him  to  swim  by,  eh?"  said 
Robinson  ;  and  had  his  smile  of  satisfaction  for  the  sound 
ness  of  the  comparison. 

"Too  much  faith!"  burst  from  Katherine.  "How 
can  you  say  it  ?  We  reject  everything, — even  the  man 
who  beautifully  accepts !  What  is  left  us  ?  Even  if 


32  WORSHIPPERS 

his  standpoint  were  one  of  reconciliation,  he  should  be 
above  criticism.  Why  cannot  we  be  fair  ? " 

Bronski  said  with  a  shrug  : 

"  Why  get  so  excited  over  it  ?  We  have  known  all 
this  before.  It  is  not  new.  And  we  have  lived  our  lives 
satisfactorily  without  him  and  his  views." 

The  woman  reflected  sadly,  "Yes,  we  have." 

Robinson  rose  to  go,  a  trifle  moody  after  the  exhilara 
tion  of  the  past  hours.  Katherine  said  her  "  good-night  " 
absently.  The  visitor,  accustomed  to  coming  and  going 
without  much  ado,  made  his  way  to  the  door  unaccom 
panied. 

Mrs.  Bronski  sat  staring  before  her.  Suddenly  her 
eyes  sought  her  husband's  face.  He  was  dozing. 


WORSHIPPERS  33 


CHAPTER  III 

AJ  attractive  three-story  house  on  the  northern 
extremity  of  the  Jewish  quarter  was  lighted  up, 
two  days  later,  to  an  extent  strange  to  the 
neighbors  who  spoke  of  a  possible  suitor,  and  did  not 
even  stop  short  at  the  exact  amount  of  the  dowry, — a 
field  for  inexhaustible  speculation. 

Within  the  house  all  was  bustle.  Servants  flew  back 
and  forth  between  kitchen  and  dining  room  ;  while  over 
all  presided  a  woman  of  thirty,  stern  in  speech  and  mien, 
whose  position  commanded  a  view  of  a  mirror  towards 
which  the  small,  dark  eyes  often  wandered  for  a  glimpse 
of  a  face  of  marked  intelligence. 

"  How  long  will  it  take  Jennie  to  dress  ? "  she  asked 
irritably  in  Yiddish  of  a  tiny,  docile,  black-wigged  woman 
who  was  passing  through  the  room. 

"  Well,  she  must  dress,"  came  with  reproachful  calm 
ness  ;  and  the  tiny  woman  continued  her  way  towards 
the  kitchen  where  a  little  man  sat  in  an  arm-chair,  his 
beady-grey  eyes  fixed  upon  the  servants  to  whom  he 
issued  orders  with  a  lordly  air. 

"  Well,  are  you  satisfied  ? "  he  asked  her— in  Yid 
dish — in  a  tone  that  suggested  lurking  doubts  to  be  dis 
pelled. 

"  It  is  for  Jennie's  sake.  If  she  is  beholden  in  his  eyes, 
won't  it  be  worth  all  the  expense  ?  I  did  not  think 
Sarah  would  take  so  much  interest.  She  has  an  eye 
for  everything,  and  has  worked  all  day  without  a  rest." 


34  WORSHIPPERS 

"Not  for  Jennie,"  complained  the  man.  "Perhaps 
she  thinks  she  isn't  good  enough.  I  know  you  will  be 
lieve  it  nonsense,  but  I  am  sure  Sarah  is  taken  up  with 
the  great  man  herself." 

"  Could  he  make  a  living  for  Jennie  ? "  the  woman 
asked  without  any  anxiety. 

"  Who  knows  these  writers  !  They  are  wild  !  wild  ! 
And  he  will  expect  a  dowry  God  alone  knows  how  big ! 
Well,  he  shall  not  get  more  than  fifteen  thousand  dol 
lars.  Let  people  deceive  him  if  they  wish  to  about 
what  he  may  expect.  But  not  more  than  fifteen  thou 
sand  dollars !  "  And  the  little  man  glared  into  space. 

"  He  has  a  big  name,  as  big  as  a  doctor's  or  lawyer's," 
murmured  his  wife  soothingly. 

"  Yes,  of  course  Jennie  shall  have  the  best ! " 
And  they  sat  dreaming  amidst  the  clatter  of  dishes. 
"  Ah,    the  bell ! "  they  cried.     The  man   asked,  "  Is 
Henry  down  ?     Yes,  he  is  here  ! " 

The  new-comer  was  short,  with  massive  head,  and 
black  eyes  that  at  one  moment  were  shifty,  the  next 
sharp  and  piercing.  He  wore  a  tuxedo  coat,  and  a  large 
diamond  sparkled  in  his  shirt-front. 

"  Why  don't  you  go  into  the  dining  room  ? "  he  said 
brusquely.  "  You  hide  in  the  kitchen  like— like — I  don't 
know  what."  The  word  "  servants  "  had  been  on  his 
tongue,  but  he  was  considerate  of  their  feelings. 

The  couple  followed  him  out.  They  were  informed 
by  the  impatient  lady  who  supervised  the  ordering  of  the 
table  that  two  young  men  had  arrived, — the  first  of  the 
guests. 

"  Students,"  she  said,  wrestling  with  a  knot  in  the 
strings  of  the  apron  that  protected  her  velvet  dress. 
"  Paulson  and  Gorun.  Jennie  isn't  down  yet.  Henry, 
can't  you  help  me  take  the  apron  off  ?  " 


WORSHIPPERS  35 

He  loosened  the  knot.  The  little  woman  took  the 
opportunity  to  ask  : 

"  How  much  will  it  cost,  Sarah  ? " 

"  We  will  have  time  afterwards  to  count  it  up.  We 
have  other  things  to  bother  about  now." 

The  bell  rang  again.  At  the  same  moment  a  girl 
descended  the  hall-stairs,  and  ignoring  the  whispered 
calls  from  the  dining  room,  went  to  the  guests,  taking 
with  her  the  new-comer, — a  tall  young  man  of  decided 
Jewish  aspect  who  wore  a  shiny  frock  coat. 

"Jehudah  Halevy  Berenson,"  whispered  Sarah;  and 
swept  grandly  into  the  parlor,  conscious  of  her  r61e  as 
hostess. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Mrs.  Goldman  ? "  came  from  the 
early  arrivals,  who  lounged  at  their  ease  in  the  plush- 
upholstered  chairs. 

She  bowed  gravely,  and  took  a  seat  near  a  pale,  ill- 
formed  girl  attired  in  costly  white  silks.  After  a  critical 
survey  of  the  young  woman's  appearance,  she  asked  in 
careless  tones  : 

"  What's  new,  gentlemen  ?  " 

They  spoke  of  their  return  to  college,  and  the  girl  in 
white  giggled  at  their  jokes.  She  suddenly  said  with  an 
arch  glance  at  a  light-complexioned,  dull-faced  boy  of 
twenty  : 

"  Play  something,  Mr.  Gorun." 

"  You  know  I'm  pretty  bad  at  it,"  Mr.  Gorun  pro 
tested  ;  but  gracefully  surrendered  to  the  general  request. 

Conversation  continued  briskly  while  he  essayed  selec 
tions  from  an  opera  on  a  piano  whose  veneer  had  de 
termined  its  selling  price. 

"  Ain't  that  sweet !  "  cried  the  girl  addressed  as  Jen 
nie  by  the  woman  in  velvet.  "  I  heard  a  grind  organ 
play  it  this  morning." 


36  WORSHIPPERS 

"  I  hope  it  did  better  than  me,"  laughed  the  performer 
who  was  cracking  his  fingers  in  the  hope  of  securing  better 
technique. 

"  Oh,  this  grind  organ  was  all  right !  " 

Jehudah  Halevy  Berenson,  bending  his  long  body 
forward,  asked  gravely : 

"  You  expect  Mr.  Raman  early,  Mrs.  Goldman  ?  " 

"  It's  hard  to  tell.  He's  from  New  York,  you  know." 
They  held  their  sides  at  the  pleasantry. 

The  man  of  the  tuxedo  coat  entered  at  this  moment, 
and  shook  hands  with  the  students. 

"He's  famous,  eh?"  came  from  Mr.  Paulson  whose 
leisure  occupied  itself  with  curling  the  ends  of  an  almost 
invisible  mustache. 

"  Famous  !  "  cried  Berenson  looking  his  contempt  over 
his  gold  nose  glasses  at  the  other  man's  ignorance. 
"  He's  a  poet !  When  he  writes  about  nature,  there  you 
are.  If  it's  the  sea,  you  hear  it  plainly  ;  if  the  woods, 
you  can  almost  smell  the  fragrance  of  the  trees,  and  see  the 
crossed  branches  overhead.  And  then,  he's  quite  a 
philosopher,  too.  No  man  has  been  more  a  friend  of  the 
lower  classes.  I  suppose  you  don't  know  he  comes  from 
the  same  town  I  do." 

"  You  don't  say  !  "  was  the  chorus. 

"  He  must  know  my  people,  although  he  won't  re 
member  me,  for  I  was  a  kid  when  he  went  to  America. 
He  left  a  big  reputation  behind,  you  bet !  A  Talmud 
boy,  every  bit  of  one,  who  knows  his  Hebrew  better  than 
your  professor  of  Semitics.  He  would  have  made  a  great 
rabbi.  You  boys  miss  a  lot  when  you  don't  know  Yid 
dish.  He's  a  bigger  poet  than  you've  got  in  English  ;" 
—a  sweeping  remark  which  brought  Gorun  to  his  feet 
with  a  formidable  list. 

"Well,"    Berenson    insisted,   "you  don't  know   Yid- 


WORSHIPPERS  37 

dish,    and   therefore    can    form    no    judgment   in   the 
matter." 

Mr.  Goldman  added : 

"  He  is  certainly  a  big  man, — a  dreamer.  Many  a 
time  when  I'd  come  back  from  the  store  I'd  take  a  dip 
into  his  poems.  They  are  genuinely  refreshing.  I  could 
in  his  lines  live  over  again  my  old  life  in  Russia.  Really 
an  exceptional,  ideal  man." 

"  We  haven't  got  too  many,"  his  wife  hazarded. 

"I  hope  it  pays  him,"  Jennie  artlessly  added. 

"  Pays  him  ?  Yes."  Goldman  spoke  authoritatively. 
"  He  is  a  contributor  to  many  newspapers,  although  he  is 
beginning  to  confine  himself  to  the  radical  press  alone. 
I  remember  when  I  first  came  over  here  and  learnt  to  set 
type  for  a  Yiddish  printing  house,  Raman  was  just  rising 
to  fame.  And  the  proprietor  of  the  printing  house, — 
who  was  a  Socialist  and  crazy  about  the  young  poet, — 
would  have  us  knock  off  work  while  he  read  his  poems 
to  us,  knowing  he  could  read  them  well.  That  was  only 
seven  years  ago." 

"  Is  Mr.  Raman  a  Socialist  now  ? "  Paulson  asked 
with  eyes  strained  to  the  horror  of  the  implication. 

"Oh,  I  suppose  you  would  call  him  an  idealist," 
Goldman  said  reassuringly. 

The  student  body  was  increased  to  seven  by  the  en 
trance  of  four  physically-divergent  types  of  the  Russian 
Jew.  A  few  minutes  later  a  little  round  man  rolled  in, 
and  greeted  them  with  a  grin  and  cry  of,  "  How  are  the 
children  ? " 

They  received  him  uproariously,  with  sallies  that 
found  him  helplessly  rubbing  the  bald  head  fringed 
with  red  hair. 

Three  more  students  entered,  adding  to  the  pande 
monium. 


38  WORSHIPPERS 

"  He  said  he  would  be  here  early,  Ratner  ? "  Goldman 
asked. 

"  What  was  the  use  of  talking  about  early  or  late  to 
a  man  who  was  not  ready  to  come  at  all,"  said  the  little 
man.  And  turning  to  the  students,  he  cried,  "  How 
many  lawyers-to-be  are  there  in  this  crowd  ?  " 

Seven  raised  their  hands. 

He  said  with  a  wry  face,  "  I  know  the  rest  will  be 
docs." 

"  Seven  to  three,"  cried  a  student.  "  You  don't  know 
when  you're  lucky." 

"  The  community  won't  be,"  grinned  Ratner.  And 
as  he  heard  Hindman's  voice  in  the  hall,  he  said  to 
Goldman,  "That's  him.  The  two  go  together  every 
where,  so  I  made  it  a  point  to  see  both." 

A  young  woman  who  strikingly  resembled  Goldman 
slipped  into  the  room  ;  and  coming  over  to  Ratner,  said, 
"  I  put  the  children  to  bed  at  last.  That's  Raman  now. 
I  walked  in  just  behind  him." 

All  watched  the  door.  Those  acquainted  with  the 
work  of  the  poet  were  eager  to  meet  him  ;  the  majority 
of  the  students  were  merely  curious. 

When  he  appeared,  Ratner  took  it  upon  himself  to 
present  him  to  everyone,  adding  "  student,"  when  a  man 
might  be  thus  honored. 

"  Quite  a  gathering  of  bookmen  !  "  Raman  said,  and 
shook  their  hands  warmly,  much  to  Goldman's  satisfac 
tion.  The  host  thought,  "  It  was  an  excellent  idea  to 
have  the  college-men.  He  couldn't  meet  a  more  brilliant 
crowd  anywhere  in  Philadelphia." 

Hindman  had  said  his  "good  evening"  stiffly,  and  had 
slipped  into  a  corner  with  the  thought,  "  How  did  I  come 
to  forget  that  they  had  a  daughter  to  marry  off  ?  The 
parents  are  being  kept  out  of  the  way  until  our  poet 


WORSHIPPERS  39 

will  find  satisfaction  in  the  girl."  He  leaned  over 
to  a  student  and  asked,  «  Did  you  know  Raman  was  to 
be  here  ? " 

"Yes.  There  was  a  meeting  of  the  Philosophical 
Club  day  before  yesterday,  and  Doc  Ratner  told  us." 

«  What  happened  at  the  Club  ? " 

"  A  long  paper  on  contemporary  English  poetry  by 
Gorun." 

"  Let  me  tell  you,  that  was  a  mighty  good  paper," 
another  student  who  was  within  hearing  assured  Hind- 
man.  "  It  showed  that  he  had  looked  it  up  a  bit." 

"  Looked  it  up,  did  he  ?  "  the  doctor  said  with  the 
shadow  of  a  smile  in  the  cold  eyes.  "  I  suppose  you 
discussed  it." 

"  Oh,  we  were  too  sleepy,"  student  number  one  con 
fessed. 

Goldman  had  been  showering  questions  upon  the  poet 
who  had  not  been  entirely  at  ease  under  the  many  curi 
ous  eyes.  Jehudah  Halevy  Berenson  unwittingly  came 
to  his  rescue  by  making  known  to  him  that  they  were 
fellow-townsmen.  At  once  Raman  was  alive  with  queries 
that  concerned  mutual  acquaintances  in  the  distant 
Russian  village. 

"Your  mother's  wonderful  knowledge  of  Hebrew  is 
still  the  talk  of  the  town,"  the  young  man  told  him. 

The  host  asked  sympathetically  : 

"  Your  parents  are  dead,  Mr.  Raman  ? " 

"  These  last  ten  years,"  was  the  brief  reply ;  and  the 
poet  gave  his  undivided  attention  to  Berenson  until  Gold 
man,  to  save  the  evening,  said  in  a  loud  voice  : 

"  Let  us  go  into  the  dining  room.  We  can  talk  around 
the  table." 

He  led  the  way  with  Mrs.  Goldman. 

The  loaded  table  lighted  up  many  eyes,  although  it 


40  WORSHIPPERS 

was  not  a  surprise  to  the  students  who  had  been  f£ted 
before  in  the  hope  that  they  would  furnish  a  suitor  for 
Jennie. 

The  seat  of  honor  seemed  to  be  opposite  that  young 
lady  and  next  to  her  sister-in-law,  Mrs.  Goldman,  and 
was  duly  assigned  to  the  poet  after  he  had  been  introduced 
to  the  parents  of  Jennie. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  contemporary  English  poetry, 
Mr.  Raman  ?  "  was  the  first  question  put  him  by  Gorun. 

Raman's  opinion,  not  coinciding  with  the  results  of 
that  young  man's  investigations  which  had  been  brought 
before  the  Philosophical  Club,  was  in  the  main  rejected 
by  the  student  body,  although  the  objections  were  not 
put  forward. 

"  Do  try  some  of  these  cakes,"  Mrs.  Goldman  coaxed. 
And  turning  squarely  upon  the  poet,  she  began  a  conver 
sation,  while  the  others  gave  themselves  to  the  edibles 
before  them. 

"  You  like  Philadelphia  ?  "  was  the  start  she  made. 

"  A  difficult  question  to  answer  after  three  days  of 
chance  observation,"  he  smiled.  "  Yet  I  can  say  that  I 
am  far  from  disappointed." 

"  Of  course  we  don't  do  things  in  the  big  way  you  do 
them  in  your  city." 

"  You  do  them  pleasantly  as  it  is,"  made  the  lady 
happy.  "  For  one  thing,  your  interest  is  centered  in 
your  homes." 

"  Well,  we  in  this  house  have  just  begun  to  put  our 
business  worries  aside.  You  don't  look  down  on  money- 
making  ? " 

He  evaded  the  blunt  question  by  saying,  "  Society 
regards  it  as  the  greatest  gift,  since  it  pays  it  most 
liberally." 

Mr.  Goldman  hastened  to  change  the  subject. 


WORSHIPPERS  41 

"  You  think  Yiddish  will  be  permanent  ? "  he  asked. 

"  I  hardly  think  I  can  frame  a  satisfactory  reply.  No 
one  feels  the  fallibility  of  his  work  and  its  instrument  as 
does  the  literary  man.  If  great  work  will  be  done  in 
Yiddish,  it  will  last.  But  you  frighten  the  man  of  letters 
when  you  use  the  word  permanency,  which  at  least  might 
imply  a  half  dozen  hundred  years,"  said  Raman. 

"  Surely  you  consider  Shakespeare  permanent ! "  Beren- 
son,  who  was  near  the  poet,  remarked. 

"  What  he  has  written  that  is  either  race-truth  or  race- 
longing  mankind  will  treasure  up.  But  we  cannot  guess 
what  the  coming  man  will  want.  Perhaps  the  whole  as 
pect  of  our  art  will  disgust  him,  even  though  we  think 
we  have  based  much  of  it  on  universal  principles.  When 
we  remember  how  even  now  our  art  disgusts  certain  in 
dividuals  who  have  gained  a  vantage  point,  we  are  left 
very  hesitating  about  trying  to  cover  infinite  ground  with 
a  temporal  leg." — ("  His  English  is  remarkable,"  Gold 
man  confided  to  a  neighbor.) — Raman  was  saying,  "  Let 
us  always  be  sympathetic  in  criticism." 

"Which  means  to  keep  our  balance,"  Berenson  dis 
covered. 

"There  never  is  a  balance.  Nature's  scales  always 
tip  one  way." 

"  Correct !  "  cried  Goldman  loudly. 

"  But  I  should  think  that  your  outlook  on  the  future 
of  art  would  dishearten  you  in  your  work,"  spoke  up  a 
student  who  was  paying  some  attention,  having  grown 
tired  of  eating. 

("It  takes  Pollock  to  stump  a  fellow ! "  came  in  a 
whisper  that  was  audible  in  the  sudden  silence  which  had 
followed  Goldman's  lusty  exclamation  of  agreement.) 

"  Why  dishearten  ?  "  asked  Raman.  "  It  has  been 
well  said  that  we  are  part  of  the  affirmative  soul  of  the 


42  WORSHIPPERS 

world.  And  so  we  must  speak, — as  well  as  we  can.  I 
think  you  understand." 

"  What  would  you  call  the  spirit  of  negation  ? "  came 
from  Hindman. 

"Well,  I  might  say  it  was  the  challenging  spirit. 
That  does  not  mean  the  pessimistic  ;  not  denial,  mind 
you." 

"  Ah !  "  Hindman  vouchsafed,  as  if  to  mock  the  un 
certainty  which  he  suspected. 

"  Not  denial,  because  it  is  assertive,"  the  poet  put  for- 
word  as  argument.  "  Else  there  would  be  times  of  com 
plete  standstill." 

Young  Gorun  asked  why  it  would  not  make  for  a  bal 
ancing. 

"  Because  the  destructive  spirit  fails  unless  it  has  the 
germs  of  reconstruction  within  itself." 

"  What  about  our  pessimism,  which  creeps  into  even 
our  art?"  demanded  Pollock. 

"  Oh,  that  is  but  the  pessimism  of  word,  not  deed. 
And  the  note  is  most  prominent  among  the  reaction 
aries  who  howl  that  God  has  gone  from  the  heavens,  be 
cause  they  dare  not  look  ahead." 

Raman,  though  thankful  for  the  discussion  because  it 
had  saved  him  from  the  feeding,  began  to  weary  of  the 
hair-splitting.  He  turned  with  relief  to  Mrs.  Goldman, 
interested  in  her  earnest  manner  of  dealing  with  trifles ; 
and  his  lighter  tone  pleased  her. 

The  students  had  been  disposing  of  fruit,  cake,  and 
wines  with  marvellous  rapidity,  ably  seconded  by  Dr. 
Hindman  who  was  too  bored  by  the  conversation  about 
him  to  wish  to  take  part  in  it.  He  found  much  amuse 
ment  in  watching  how  Mrs.  Goldman  entertained  the 
poet. 

Having  swept  the  table  almost  clean,  there  was  a  gene- 


WORSHIPPERS  43 

ral  movement  toward  the  parlor.  Gorun  was  coaxed 
into  rendering  his  memorized  selections  from  the  opera 
that  formed  his  repertory.  Several  students,  under  the 
influence  of  the  wine  of  which  they  had  partaken  liber 
ally,  attempted  a  vocal  accompaniment,  amid  laughter 
and  shouting. 

Raman  was  listening  to  Mrs.  Goldman's  account  of 
how  she  had  helped  to  build  up  her  husband's  finances. 
He  agreed  with  her  that  Mr.  Goldman  was  wise  in  re 
tiring  from  business  to  gain  leisure  for  culture.  And 
he  listened  curiously  to  her  confession  that  hers  was  a 
restlessness  that  would  have  to  find  outlet  in  work ;  and 
that  she  was  desirous  of  taking  up  the  study  of  law. 

She  asked  no  advice.  Her  mental  robustness  left 
him  an  eager  listener,  and  when  he  spoke,  it  was  to  say : 

"  It  is  well.  Realize  yourself  perfectly.  Grasp  all 
you  can  of  the  things  that  make  life  full  of  purpose." 

"  My  training  has  been  valuable,"  she  told  him.  "  I 
was  taught  human  nature  across  the  store  counter.  I  am 
not  easily  discouraged." 

"  Your  ambition  should  make  you  happy." 

In  a  corner  of  the  dining  room  the  parents  of  Jennie 
were  discussing  the  poet. 

"  He  did  not  look  at  her,"  grumbled  the  father, 
"  Someone  would  think  he  honored  us.  Sarah  was  of 
more  interest  to  him." 

"  Have  patience,"  said  the  woman.  "  What  can  you 
expect  ?  He  will  come  again  and  again ;  and  then  he 
will  not  be  so  shy.  Why  did  we  need  all  those  students  ? 
How  beautiful  she  was  this  evening  !  " 

"  Like  a  flower  !  to  think  that  we  have  to  give  fifteen 
thousand  dollars  with  her  !  They  are  blind  !  blind  !  " 

"  But  he  will  use  it  for  her." 

"  I  suppose  so,"  said  the  man  with  a  sigh.     "  Let  us 


44  WORSHIPPERS 

call  her  out.  She  is  altogether  too  quiet.  We  must 
speak  a  few  words  to  her." 

The  result  was  that  when  the  poet  rose  to  go,  Jennie 
approached  him,  and  urged  him  to  call  again. 

Goldman  added,  "An  evening  like  this  is  not  to  be 
forgotten.  You  must  come  again." 

His  wife  said,  "  I  want  to  thank  you  for  the  hours  you 
spent  with  us." 

Some  of  the  students  declared  themselves  honored. 
He  was  invited  to  come  to  the  Philosophical  Club ;  and 
Berenson  suggested  that  he  read  a  paper  before  it. 

"  I  am  a  busy  man,"  Raman  offered  as  excuse.  "  All 
my  spare  time  just  now  is  occupied  with  the  study  of 
English  in  which  I  hope  to  do  some  work  before  long." 

"  A  hard  language,  eh  ?  "     Berenson  laughed. 

"  Like  a  restless  steed,  its  management  so  takes  up  our 
time,  that  we  forget  to  enjoy  the  riding." 

At  last,  much  to  the  relief  of  both  the  doctor  and  Raman, 
they  found  themselves  in  the  open  air.  The  poet  drew  a 
long  breath  to  clear  his  senses,  and  asked  : 

"  Do  you  know  who  is  the  biggest  individual  there  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes  !  I  noticed  she  took  time  to  impress  the 
fact  upon  you.  Do  you  care  to  hear  the  antecedents  of 
the  lady  ? " 

"  If  it  won't  be  a  matter  of  listening  to  anything  too 
glaring  or  too  caustic." 

"  Do  you  think  I  can  weave  moonshine  into  the  lives 
of  these  bourgeoisie  ? "  And  Hindman  began  :  "  Gold 
man  made  his  money  by  the  sort  of  sharp  practice  that  is 
sometimes  condemned  by  his  own  class." 

"  How  quickly  you  can  find  a  good  word  for  even  those 
you  detest  when  you  forget  yourself  ! " 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  say  everybody  had  Goldman's  courage. 
That's  the  reason  he  got  his  money  together  quickly.  He 


WORSHIPPERS  45 

had  helped  his  parents  build  up  a  store  to  which  three 
sons,  the  parents,  the  daughter,  and,  until  recently,  Mrs. 
Goldman,  gave  sixteen  hours  a  day.  Goldman  used  to 
call  himself  an  idealist.  And  you  needn't  pity  him, 
because  he's  happier  where  he  is.  He  boasts  that  he  just 
missed  getting  hung  for  active  propaganda  work  among 
the  peasants.  A  doubtful  story  even  for  the  reign  of 
Alexander  III.  But  they  wouldn't  hang  him  for  his 
ideas  now.  Not  here,  where  at  most  they  let  each  man 
hang  himself." 

"  Come  now  !     The  story  !  " 

"  Well,  she  was  a  sales-girl  in  the  store,  uneducated 
and  lacking  in  both  refinement  and  beauty.  And  she 
rose  from  servant  in  that  establishment  to  mistress  of  it ; 
won  this  Goldman  who  is  neither  a  fool  nor  blind.  Mind 
you,  there  is  no  love  between  them.  Merely  respect. 
His  for  her  ability ;  hers  for  his  cleverness.  Good  mating. 
Hers  is  a  remarkable  personality.  In  taking  to  you,  she 
shows  that  there  is  something  of  the  sentimental  deep 
down  in  her  nature." 

"  She  is  going  in  for  law,  she  said." 

"  And  you  may  bet  everything  you  have  that  she  will 
succeed.  She  is  the  only  woman  who  rattles  me,"  con 
fessed  the  doctor.  "  I  have  to  put  on  a  bold  front,  or  I'd 
talk  the  nonsense  you  did  to-night." 

"  Was  it  bad  ?  There  may  have  been  seeming  con 
tradictions — " 

"  Oh,  I  suppose  you  try  to  square  yourself  with  your 
feelings.  Never  mind.  Only  /  noticed  it." 

"  Oh,  well,  mine  was  the  case  of  a  man  trying  to  think 
as  quickly  as  he  could  talk.  It's  excellent  practice." 

"  The  students  will  say  you  are  an  intellectual  freak." 

"  My  quarrel  was  only  with  those  who  wrote  their  text 
books." 


46  WORSHIPPERS 

They  walked  on  in  silence.     At  last  the  doctor  said  : 

"  And  you  really  intend  to  make  it  all  winter  ? " 

"  Yes,  if  everybody  will  get  so  thoroughly  acquainted 
with  me  that  I  will  be  less  of  a  novelty,  and  will  be  left 
to  my  work.  What  a  world,  Hindman !  It's  like  the 
unrolling  of  the  great  scroll  in  the  synagogue  which  used 
to  fascinate  me  as  a  boy.  But  here  the  mystery  never 
ends,  thanks  to  the  subtilty  of  the  forces  within  and  about 
us." 

"A  game  of  chess  has  endless  combinations,"  sug 
gested  Hindman. 

"  But  confess  that  when  we're  taken  out  of  the  box  to 
be  pushed  about  the  black  and  white  squares,  it  is 
delightful  to  think  of  what  master-forces  are  behind  us." 

"  May  be  behind  us,"  corrected  the  doctor. 

"  You  would  call  it  the  processes  of  life  playing  against 
time  ? " 

"  Don't  bother  me  with  your  metaphysics.  One  thing 
is  certain, — that  when  we  are  put  back  into  the  box  we 
are  done  with  for  all  time.  Fortunately  !  Let  us  talk  of 
something  more  sensible." 


WORSHIPPERS  47 


CHAPTER    IV 

DR.  HINDMAN'S  little  examining  room  was 
darkened  by  the  clouds  that  made  grey  the  sky 
and  the  thoughts  of  the  man  who  was  absently 
gazing  out  of  the  window,  his  arms  crossed,  his  head  on  his 
breast.  He  suddenly  sighed,  passed  his  hand  through 
the  thin  hair  that  showed  traces  of  white,  and  with  a 
restless  motion  brushed  aside  the  medical  journal  that 
lay  before  him.  Lighting  a  cigarette,  he  took  a  turn 
about  the  room, 

"It's  two  days  now.  He  must  be  working,"  he  said 
aloud.  "  Yes,  he  has  grown  self-satisfied.  Would 
preach  to  me,  to  all  of  us.  That's  success.  To  jump 
over  a  few  obstacles,  and  to  announce  one's  self  as  a 
mountain  climber !  " 

He  turned  to  a  past  that  loaned  him  satisfying  mem 
ories  ;  he  smiled  at  triumphant  scenes ;  then  almost 
snarled  ;  and  regretted  that  Raman  had  come  to  Phila 
delphia. 

A  book  at  his  elbow,  a  collection  of  poems  loaned  him 
by  Raman  to  awaken  his  interest  in  a  recent  school  of 
English  poetry,  made  him  exclaim  : 

"  How  seriously  very  young  men  take  themselves ! 
This  one  stands  on  a  step-ladder  trying  to  paint  the  sky. 
I  wonder  if  Raman  left  New  York  to  escape  some  ad 
mirer  !  His  reasons  have  been  inadequate.  A  virtuous 
man — in  his  way." 

He  took  up  the  medical  journal  again,  and  gave  him- 


48  WORSHIPPERS 

self  to  an  article  that  finished  with  a  criticism  by  a  fa 
mous  surgeon  who  had  been  asked  to  comment. 

"  So  it  is  !  Just  because  the  writer  is  a  young  man  ! 
What  a  fight  to  crawl  to  the  top  !  And  then  they  fos 
silize." 

A  ring  of  the  bell  made  him  turn  his  head. 

"  I  hope  that  visit  won't  be  a  distant  one." 

It  proved  to  be  Raman  whose  smile  visibly  bright 
ened  the  man  before  him. 

"  Well,"  cried  the  visitor,  "  despite  the  gloomy  after 
noon,  we  will  make  a  cheerful  hour  of  it.  Have  you 
been  alternating  between  the  medical  journal  and  the 
book  of  poems  ?  " 

"I  was  more  partial  to  my  own  profession.  The 
photograph  of  that  diseased  limb  seems  to  frighten 
you." 

"  Let  me  ask  you,  Hindman  :  are  you  passive  to  the 
sight  of  suffering  ?  " 

"Is  this  going  to  be  a  lecture,  or  merely  a  quizz ? " 
cried  the  doctor. 

"  Don't  tell  me  that  I  am  a  bore.  I  will  be  prone  to 
believe  you,"  the  visitor  laughed. 

"  I  have  forgiven  so  much  that  I  may  as  well  continue 
to  be  lenient.  It  answers  partly  your  last  question." 
Both  laughed.  Then  Hindman  said  seriously,  "  I  am 
entirely  passive.  There  was  a  time  when  I  used  to  rage 
at  the  sort  of  medicines  they  compounded  for  the  poor 
in  the  clinics.  But  I  was  a  fool,  and  soon  discovered 
the  fact.  It  is  useful  to  be  hardened." 

"  There  is  so  much  of  the  brute  still  left  in  us  that  we 
haven't  even  decent  sensitiveness.  An  impersonal  re 
mark,  Hindman." 

"  I  believe  you.  And  so  they  invite  a  sensitive  man 
for  an  evening  and  test  his  nerves." 


WORSHIPPERS  49 

The  poet  smiled  ;  and  then  said,  "  The  Goldmans 
thought  first  of  pleasing." 

"  /  thought  the  strain  of  that  evening  had  driven  you 
to  isolation, — or  to  New  York." 

"  I  would  have  informed  you  if  I  had  considered  the 
second  step  necessary.  The  truth  is  I  am  giving  my 
spare  time  to  a  tragedy  in  blank  verse.  It  is  absorbing 
me.  In  Yiddish,  of  course." 

"  Not  a  leaf  out  of  your  own  life  ?  " 

"  You  think  many  of  the  leaves  would  furnish  me 
material  ? " 

"  True.     You  seem  happy." 

"  Cheerful,  is  a  better  way  of  putting  it.  At  the  first 
sign  of  a  dark  mood,  I  bury  myself  in  work.  And  some 
times  I  get  through  a  great  amount  of  it.  I  would  not 
believe  that  you  could  be  deceived  by  externals." 

"  I  see  so  little  of  you,"  replied  the  doctor. 

"  You  are  good  enough  not  to  say  that  you  are 
fortunate.  What  do  you  make  a  year  out  of  your 
practice  ? " 

"  The  sum  is  so  small  that  I  am  too  ashamed  to  men 
tion  it.  I  don't  go  out  of  my  way  to  get  more  than  a 
living.  At  one  time  I  thought  that  I  would  attempt 
surgical  work.  But  there  is  no  use  harboring  wishes  for 
their  own  sake." 

"  You  are  not  moving  among  ambitious  men." 

The  other  flushed,  and  said  : 

"  Raman,  you  have  a  queer  way  of  making  a  person 
feel  like  a  boy." 

There  was  so  much  of  restrained  anger  in  his  voice 
that  the  visitor  was  abashed. 

"  I  thought  I  could  talk  plainly,"  he  said. 

"  Why  shouldn't  we  ?  But  you  forget  that  though  my 
view  and  outlook  may  be  queer,  they  are  mine." 


50  WORSHIPPERS 

"  Don't  let's  quarrel.  Which  reminds  me  to  ask  you 
how  they  look  at  you  in  the  several  radical  camps." 

"  I  can  give  you  an  exact  idea  by  saying  that  they 
have  stopped  discussing  me,"  Hindman  said  with  a  grin. 
"  They  shrug  their  shoulders  at  the  mention  of  my  name. 
By  the  way,  they  give  their  dance  next  week.  Go. 
You  will  meet  some  interesting  people." 

"  Your  town  has  its  quota." 

"  So  it  thinks.  I  suppose  the  Bronskis  will  not  for 
give  me  for  not  bringing  you  down  again." 

"  They  were  in  my  thoughts  several  times.  You  have 
been  so  vague  about  them,  that  I  believe  I  have  a  false 
impression  of  their  life  and  their  relation  to  each  other." 

"  Yes  ?  I  won't  ask  you  why.  You  may  be  unable 
to  clear  yourself."  The  doctor  watched  the  curling 
smoke  of  his  cigarette  with  a  peculiar  smile.  "  Her 
history  is  interesting.  If  you  are  going  to  stay  in  our 
community,  you  might  as  well  get  acquainted  with  the 
people,"  he  argued  against  the  protesting  lift  of  the 
other's  hand.  "  The  recital  will  not  shock  you.  It  is 
not  a  medical  joke."  He  pulled  languidly  on  his  cig 
arette,  and  began : 

"  She  came  to  New  York  with  an  aunt, — a  little  cut- 
and-dried  woman  who  practices  medicine  there.  You 
ought  to  know  her — Dr.  Isfeld." 

"  A  great  individualist." 

"  A  born  fighter.  Well,  Katherine  worked  hard, 
made  good  use  of  the  early  training  she  got  in  Russia, 
and  was  on  the  road  to  happiness  ;  when  suddenly  she 
stumbled  upon  the  fact  that  she  had  talent  as  an  elocu 
tionist." 

"  The  voice,"  Raman  said,  "  is  good,  although  it  is 
not  pure.  But  emotion  could  compensate  for  that." 

"Well,  don't  interrupt  until   I  come   to  the  crucial 


WORSHIPPERS  51 

point  in  her  history.  She  fell  in  love  (this  was  in  New 
York,  of  course)  with  a  young  man  who  didn't  care  a 
rap  for  her, — a  lawyer  at  present  making  money  in 
machine  politics,  but  who  then  called  himself  a  Socialist. 
You  may  remember  Roseblitt.  I  don't  know  what  she 
saw  in  him, —  " 

"  He  was  clever." 

"  Yes,  in  a  small  way.  Well,  embittered,  she  turned 
to  Bronski  who  was  paying  attention  to  her.  He  had 
divorced  his  wife,  a  woman  with  some  money  of  her 
own.  Their  children — some  of  them — are  as  old  as  Kath- 
erine.  Well,  he,  very  happy  that  the  young  woman  saw 
something  in  him  to  like,  took  her  to  Philadelphia,  sent 
her  to  a  school  of  acting,  and  they  set  up  a  home.  Her 
dream,  I  suppose,  was  to  become  a  great  actress,  and  to 
laugh  at  Roseblitt  for  his  stupidity." 

Raman  allowed  a  gesture  of  impatience  to  escape 
him. 

"Well,  why  not?"  asked  Hindman.  "To  get  the 
story  shorter,  she  made  her  d£but  in  a  tragic  play ;  and 
the  community  went  almost  in  a  body  to  see  her,  and 
were  absurdly  wild  over  her  acting.  Bronski,  drunk  with 
joy,  carried  her  to  her  carriage.  It  was  a  great  day  !  a 
great  day  !  " 

The  eyelids  lowered  over  the  merciless  eyes  to  revive 
the  picture.  Raman,  guessing  the  after  years,  murmured, 
"  Poor  woman  !  Poor  woman  ! " 

"  Yes,  it  was  pitiful.  Of  course  the  play  had  been 
given  at  her  expense  :  I  mean  it  was  not  a  regular  com 
pany.  After  a  long  search  and  wait  she  managed  to 
secure  some  small  part  with  a  touring  star.  Bronski 
happened  not  to  be  well,  and  she  came  home  ; — of  her 
own  accord,  she  claims." 

"  A  restless  type,"  Raman  mused. 


52  WORSHIPPERS 

"  Well,  do  you  know  that  a  certain  sort  of  seriousness 
is  often  frivolity  ?  She  lacks  intellect." 

"  Out  go  your  labels  ! "  the  poet  protested. 

"  Oh,  she's  a  mixture  of  labels.  I  forgive  her  every 
thing, — even  Bronski.  She  would  have  thrown  him 
over  had  she  succeeded." 

"  You  forgive  ! "  Raman  cried  sternly. 

"  That  past  makes  my  dreams,"  said  Hindman  without 
compunction.  "  I  lived  intensely  ;  more  so  than  the 
majority  of  men.  To  regret  it*  is  to  regret  having 
lived." 

"  You  would  want  to  repeat  it  ?  " 

"  Well,  no.  It  seems  silly  now  ;  like  the  rest  of  the 
game  I  played.  Why  make  a  fuss  over  yesterday's  tea  ? 
It  seems  a  contradiction  to  you  ?  We  are  ethical  beings 
some  days,  when  we  get  a  good  sweeping  view — in  cold 
blood.  Tell  me,  why  did  you  leave  New  York  ?  You 
may  want  quiet  here  for  your  work — " 

"  It  is  quieter." 

"  You  mean  you  will  be  left  alone  ? " 

"  Suppose  I  allow  that  your  guess  is  good — " 

"  Well,  I  am  curious." 

"  The  woman  was  foolish.  I  thought  it  was  my  duty 
to  go." 

"  Ah,  we  don't  properly  appreciate  men  like  you  in 
our  age,"  came  in  a  tone  of  banter.  "  What  were  you 
about  to  do  ?  take  a  walk  ?  It  don't  look  like  rain  after 
all." 

"  Yes,  I  was  out  for  a  loaf.  I  intend  to  '  do '  your 
street  where  the  fashionables  promenade.  No  !  No  !  " 
as  Hindman  got  to  his  feet.  "  You  ought  not." 

"  What's  the  matter  ? "  asked  the  doctor. 

"  Don't  leave  your  office.  Someone  may  come  in. 
It's  wrong.  These  are  your  hours,  aren't  they  ?  " 


WORSHIPPERS  53 

"  Oh,  the  office  won't  run  away.  But  maybe  you're 
right ;  something  expects  to  be  born  into  our  kingdom 
of  heaven,  and  I  must  be  of  help." 

"  I,"  smiled  Raman,  "  am  finishing  a  golden  poem; 
and  despite  the  day,  there  shall  be  no  dark  threads.  I 
suppose  there  is  no  poetry  in  your  view  of  a  tiny  spark 
being  thrust  into  our  world." 

"  None  at  all.  Not  the  least !  When  the  child  is 
dead,  I  sometimes  feel  relieved,  brutal  as  it  may  sound. 
The  mud  grows  lots  of  weeds,  Raman." 

The  poet's  eyes  darkened  ;  but  he  put  out  his  hand. 

Hindman,  when  he  was  alone,  mused  : 

"  I  was  right  about  the  woman.  It  is  possible  for  a 
man  to  get  far  away  from  earth.  But  he's  just  the  one 
to  find  it  under  him  suddenly.  I  expressed  myself  a  little 
too  brutally  to  suit  his  sensitive  soul."  His  laugh  was 
interrupted  by  the  ringing  of  the  door  bell.  "  It  is  well  I 
stayed  after  all.  "  I'll  have  something  to  finish  the  day 
with." 

A  girl  darted  in,  crying  breathlessly  : 

"  Please  come  quick,  Doctor  !     Mother's  very  sick  ! " 

"  All  right.     I'll  be  there  right  away.     Go  home." 

He  took  up  a  satchel  containing  obstetrical  instru 
ments,  and  prepared  to  follow  the  girl,  saying  as  he 
slipped  into  his  overcoat : 

"  Another  dark  thread  in  a  poem  ;  seven  in  all,  and  an 
income  of  ten  dollars  a  week.  And  this  maker  of  verse 
thinks  I  am  brutal.  Idiots  !  " 

The  poet  on  his  way  through  the  Jewish  quarter  was 
often  greeted  with  a  lift  of  the  hat,  although  the  men 
stood  too  much  in  awe  of  him  to  venture  upon  an  ex 
change  of  words. 

He  experienced  a  feeling  of  relief  when  he  reached 


54  WORSHIPPERS 

the  fashionable  thoroughfare  where  well-garbed  men  and 
women  strolled  by  neat  shops  and  chatted  in  careless 
tones.  In  seeking  an  explanation  for  his  strange  relish 
of  the  ease  and  idleness  which  was  on  parade,  he  decided 
that  the  absence  of  worry  on  the  faces  of  the  many  about 
him  had  won  him  for  the  time  being  from  his  hostile 
position. 

Suddenly,  familiar  features  came  into  sight,  and  a 
woman  cried  joyfully  as  she  held  out  her  hand,-  "  Mr. 
Raman,  how  do  you  do  ? " 

"  Mrs.  Bronski,  how  are  you  ?" 

Their  warm  handclasp  attracted  attention  ;  and  to  save 
her  from  the  embarrassment  of  a  conversation  before  that 
moving  crowd,  the  poet  said,  "  Since  I  am  strolling  aim 
lessly,  suppose  I  go  down  the  street  with  you?" 

"  Splendid !  " 

They  moved  back  into  the  stream  of  pedestrians. 

"  I  always  stumble  upon  friends  here,"  said  the  woman. 
"  They  all  seem  to  prefer  it  to  the  busy  adjoining  high 
ways.  You  were  quick  to  discover  its  merits." 

"  These  good  people  are  so  little  concerned  with  the 
to-morrow — to  all  appearances — that  one  acquires  bound 
less  good  humor  by  merely  looking  at  them,"  he  ex 
plained.  "  You  see  how  fastidious  I  am  sometimes." 

"Is  that  the  reason  why  you  have  not  paid  us  another 
visit  ?  "  she  asked  merrily. 

"  You  are  taking  an  unfair  advantage,"  he  said  in  lieu 
of  anything  more  to  the  point.  "  And,  again,  I  was  not 
speaking  of  friends.  Believe  me,  my  work  during  the 
last  few  days  tied  me  up  unsparingly."  He  caught  the 
titles  of  the  books  she  carried.  "  Our  Scandinavian 
Shakespeare !" 

"  I  suppose  so.  But  he  and  I  are  not  on  good  terms. 
He  brings  us  into  such  an  odd  world  !  I  am  an  individ- 


WORSHIPPERS  55 

ual  perfectly  satisfied  with  the  shortcomings  of  this  one, 
you  know,"  she  laughed. 

"  I  suppose  you  say  that  because  you  know  I  have  a 
standing  quarrel  with  it,"  he  replied  lightly ;  "  and  so  I 
enjoy  closing  the  door  against  it  with  this  man.  Really, 
he  is  a  big-shouldered  fellow." 

"  He  seems  to  me  all  head,  and  no  heart.  Rather 
trying  to  an  interpreter,  because  he  is  too  much  a  peda 
gogue." 

"  Well,  I,  too,  prefer  to  take  my  time  with  him  leisurely 
over  the  printed  page  instead  of  watching  some  fanciful 
interpreter.  Northern  Europe  is  doing  the  sanest  think 
ing  in  the  world,  I  believe.  The  courageous  front  pre 
sented  there  to  every  problem  is  exhilarating." 

"  Of  course  you  know  that  our  friend  Dr.  Hindman  is 
an  authority  on  the  gentleman  under  dispute." 

"  In  the  same  way  as  of  old  ?  Or  has  his  worship 
changed  to  admiration  ? " 

"  Worship  !  You  know  at  most  we  can  only  admire 
the  doctor,"  she  said. 

"  He  was  beautiful." 

"And  now  he  is  an  iceberg.     He  can  only  laugh." 

Raman  was  indulgent  with  her  indignation. 

"  If  you  could  have  known  him  eight  years  ago  !  He 
was  an  inspiration.  We  all  looked  up  to  him.  He  was 
like  a  trumpet  call." 

"  He  scolds  us  terribly." 

"  To  keep  from  being  scolded  himself.  It  is  natural. 
A  very  sensitive  man." 

"  Would  you  call  him  a  failure  ?  "  came  hesitatingly. 

There  being  one  at  his  side,  Raman  chose  his  words 
with  great  care. 

"  I  always  hesitate  to  explain  spent  effort.  Hindman 
may  have  latent  energy.  Some  great  force  may  awaken 


56  WORSHIPPERS 

him  ;  and  he  will  be  curiously  wonderful  because  of  this 
very  period." 

"  Still,"  came  sharply,  "  it  is  depressing  to  find  men 
and  women  who  fold  their  hands  and  seem  to  wait  for 
nothing  except  the  end." 

"  Perhaps  they  have  originally  demanded  too  much. 
Remember,  we  can  always  dream  bigger  than  we  can  do. 
But,"  with  a  glance  overhead,  "  let  us  not  succumb  to 
the  influence  of  a  dark  sky." 

"  Oh,  it  is  not  that.  Although  I  will  admit  that  grey 
moods  seize  me  when  they  are  least  desirable.  And 
after  depression  will  come  a  wave  of  energy  that  will  make 
a  girl  of  me.  I  think  that  we  are  all  more  or  less  at  the 
mercy  of  our  moods, — except,  possibly,  the  dollar-seeking 
theatrical  manager." 

With  the  joy  of  the  task  she  unmercifully  flayed  the 
stage  master  ;  and  drifted  naturally  to  a  discussion  of  her 
hopes  and  fears,  spreading  them  before  him  with  a 
yearning  so  pathetic  that  he  murmured  : 

"  You  must  allow  for  the  brute  struggle  about  us." 

"  But  is  it  possible  that  ability  can  be  refused  a  hearing, 
and  the  world  acquiesce  ? "  she  cried. 

"  Such  is  the  fatality  of  man's  brute  descent  that  the 
flowering  of  the  race  is  rare." 

"  Then  it  is  folly  to  persist  ? " 

"  Why  so  ?  It  is  our  protest  against  the  ignoble  or 
dering  of  things." 

"  I  know — your  Socialism.  But  I  won't  put  myself  on 
the  rack  as  a  protest.  It  isn't  that  I  am  in  need  of 
bread." 

"  The  divine  is  bound  up  with  the  material — at  least  in 
this  world.  Being  more  ready  to  accept  this  one  than 
any  other, — but  perhaps  I  am  touching  a  thing  sacred 
with  you — ? " 


WORSHIPPERS  57 

«  Not  at  all." 

"  Well,  let  me  say  that  I  received  quite  an  education 
in  the  importance  of  the  material  when  I  worked  at  the 
machine.  You  underrate  the  little  things  because  to  you 
they  happen  to  be  second  thought." 

"  But  you  rose  above  it  all  by  sheer  effort  of  will." 

"  You  mean  above  my  old  way  of  earning  a  livelihood  ? 
No,  it  was  by  accident.  I  happened  to  be  able  to  sing 
the  song  the  worker  wanted.  Had  my  muse  then  taken 
to  loftier  flights,  I  might  have  gone  mad.  If  you  but 
knew  the  numbers  who  are  singing  the  '  Song  of  the  Shirt ' 
who  could  make  life  nobler  if  life  was  decent  to  them  ! 
Many,  unfortunately,  who  managed  to  climb  out  of  the 
grave  spit  on  those  who  remain  buried.  You  can  under 
stand,  my  friend,  why  I  consider  much  of  my  work  a 
duty." 

She  was  learning  to  know  the  man.  His  outburst 
pleased  her, — less  because  of  the  text,  than  because  of  the 
fact  that  the  serene  philosopher  in  him  had  been  so  quickly 
thrust  aside. 

"  We  all  have  our  hobbies,"  she  hazarded. 

"  In  the  long  run  their  value  is  measured  by  their 
nobility.  Although  a  Scientific  Socialist  would  have  put 
it  in  reverse  fashion." 

They  paused  at  a  street-corner  to  wait  for  a  car  on 
which  Mrs.  Bronski  was  to  continue  home.  She  asked  : 

"  You  intend  to  be  at  the  dance  given  by  the  radicals  ? " 

"  Possibly  ; — seeing  that  twice  within  an  afternoon  it 
has  been  brought  to  my  notice.  You  participate  ? " 

"  In  a  humble  way.  I  am  to  recite.  They  always 
make  it  a  point  to  honor  me.  It  is  laughable  to  watch 
the  dissipation  of  patience  in  the  audience  when  it  is  sub 
jected  to  a  long  programme.  So  I  take  care  to  be  among 
the  first.  Ours  is  a  strange  community." 


58  WORSHIPPERS 

"  The  strangeness  of  it  grows  with  intimacy  ; " — a 
general  reflection  from  which  she  accepted  a  particular 
meaning  ;  and  was  silent  until  her  words  of  thanks  dis 
missed  him  after  he  had  helped  her  on  the  car. 

He  was  thoughtful  as  he  walked  home. 

"  She  may  be  an  able  woman,"  he  granted.  "  Much 
is  often  accomplished  in  the  world  of  art  that  is  not  due 
to  intellect."  Later  he  confessed  :  "  An  unusually  in 
teresting  woman  ;  for  the  very  reason  of  her  unfairness, 
I  suppose."  He  was  forced  to  ask  the  question,  "  Why 
did  she  give  herself  to  Bronski  ?  Was  it  for  the  reasons 
Hindman  suggested  ?  I  am  brutal  !  And  again,  has 
she  not  been  sufficiently  punished  ?  How  hideous  !  " 

When  almost  at  the  house  where  he  had  his  room,  he 
said  with  a  shrug,  "  I  know  very  little  indeed  of  women  !  " 

He  took  his  seat  at  his  work-table ;  and  pushing  aside 
the  crowding  books,  spread  out  the  pages  of  a  letter 
which  had  been  handed  him  below  stairs. 

"  The  foolish  girl !  "  he  groaned.  "  How  quickly  she 
discovered  my  new  address  !  From  whom  ?  They  will 
have  reason  to  laugh." 

The  Russian  before  him  said : 

"  So  you  have  gone  !  The  sun  is  not  as  bright  now. 
Everything  seems  as  spiritless  as  myself.  I  am  so  lonely 
with  the  money-mad  people  ;  as  if  severed  from  all 
things  living. 

"  You,  whose  mission  it  is  to  look  into  the  innermost 
recesses  of  our  hearts  must  understand  this.  If  you 
could  but  understand  it  as  I  do  at  this  moment ! 

"  And  so  you  have  gone,  leaving  here  the  night  and 
gloom.  What  is  left  me?  The  very  beggar  in  the 
street  is  happier  than  I. 

"  When  I  heard  your  voice  (be  it  in  the  circle  of  our 
mutual  friends,  or  in  your  poems),  I  felt  a  great  calm  ; 
and  yet  with  it  the  incompleteness  of  my  life,  the  in- 


WORSHIPPERS  59 

significance  of  my  grasp  of  things.  You  stirred  up  with 
in  me  longings  for  work  of  a  noble  kind,  as  a  land 
scape  affects  me.  How  I  revered  the  purity  of  your 
aims,  your  uncompromising  attitude,  your  persis 
tency  !  .  .  .  . 

"  Yes,  yes !  your  are  my  man-god  !  my  idol !  What  if 
so  ?  You  cannot  be  angry  with  me.  You  will  not !  It 
has  been  some  years  since  I  rejected  the  god  of  my 
fathers  ;  and  it  is  so  awfully  depressing  to  live  without  a 
god. 

"  A  woman's  nature  craves  affection.  What  use  had 
I  for  your  respectful  attitude  towards  me  ?  Although 
you  did  not  wish  to  wound  me  deliberately,  every  time 
you  spoke  it  was  almost  an  offense  to  see  how  you  meas 
ured  your  words 

"  And  now  you  are  gone  ;  your  friends  tell  me,  for 
long.  .  .  . 

"  After  all,  what  do  you  worship  outside  your  own 
dreams  ?  Life  itself  is  secondary !  .  .  .  . 

"  But  this  expression  of  anger  is  only  an  expression 
of  despair 

"  Noble  teacher,  dare  you  accept  the  realities  of 
life?  .-..." 

"  How  shall  I  steer  between  Scylla  and  Charybdis  ? 
Shall  I  answer  ? "  was  the  thought  that  most  disturbed 
Raman  as  he  folded  the  pages.  "  I  feel  like  a  fool.  A 
thousand  pities  !  Perhaps  it  was  this  sort  of  thing  that 
drove  that  woman  to  Bronski.  Come  !  To  work  !  To 
work!  I  would  have  done  better  had  I  stayed  in." 

Rain  was  beginning  to  fall  in  a  thin  haze.  The  poet 
stared  out,  unable  to  begin  any  task. 

"  What  little  laughter,  all  told,  there  is  in  the  world  !  " 
And  then  he  wondered,  "  What  will  a  hundred  years  of 
culture  do  with  the  Jew  ?  Can  the  Oriental  be  elimin 
ated  ?  It  was  made  worse  by  the  blending  with  the 
Slav.  .  .  .  When  the  spirit  of  unrest  mounts  spirited 


60  WORSHIPPERS 

steeds,  it  means  either  the  mountain  height,  or  the  abyss. 
Poor  Hindman !  He  seems  helpless.  It  is  a 
matter  of  indifference  to  him  what  to  accept  and  what 
to  reject.  And  his  work  is  of  no  interest  to  him. 
Buried  alive  !  Buried  alive  !  " 

After  his  thoughts  had  taken  another  direction  they 
brought  the  exclamation,  "  An  odd  wish  to  get  into 
costume  to  interpret  a  role  !  There,  of  course,  the  ap 
plause  is  direct.  What  can  their  home  life  be  like  ? " 

He  took  up  pencil  and  paper,  and  began  to  work. 


WORSHIPPERS  61 


CHAPTER  V 

ON  payment  of  a  fee  the  shawls  which  protected 
the  carefully  made  coiffure  of  the  women,  and 
the  top  coats  that  covered  the  holiday  clothes  of 
the  men  were  stowed  away  for  safe-keeping,  and  the 
strings  of  couples  who  had  entered  the  "  hall "  where  the 
dance  of  the  "  Radicals  "  was  to  be  given  ascended  a  long 
flight  of  stairs  into  a  large,  brilliantly-lighted  room.  At 
one  end,  a  stage  was  rendered  attractive  by  potted  plants  ; 
and  flanking  the  walls  of  the  room  were  long  tables  on 
which  stood  sugarbowls,  glasses  for  tea,  and  platters  with 
sliced  lemons. 

The  murmur  of  voices  grew  in  volume  as  the  place 
filled.  Ushers,  whose  usefulness  could  not  be  readily 
ascertained,  ran  back  and  forth  among  the  numerous 
groups.  Handsomely  gowned  girls  were  using  their 
eyes  effectively  on  young  men  ;  and  the  latter,  conscious 
that  their  white  vests,  high  collars,  and  shiny,  plastered 
hair  gave  them  an  air  of  dignity,  behaved  gallantly. 

Those  whose  education  and  profession  allowed  them  to 
be  classed  as  "  Intellectuals  "  promenaded  through  the 
throng,  speaking  Russian,  and  bowing  in  stately  fashion 
to  chance  acquaintances. 

Evening  clothes  were  rare  enough  to  be  conspicuous  ; 
but  the  few  who  wore  them  were  not  entirely  at  ease  in 
the  Bohemian  gathering. 

Mrs.  Bronski  arrived,  gowned  in  black,  with  a  string  of 
pearls  about  her  neck,  and  a  red  rose  in  her  hair.  Rob 
inson  was  her  escort. 


62  WORSHIPPERS 

At  once  she  became  the  centre  of  a  circle  of  friends 
both  gay  and  serious.  Grave  individuals  would  labori 
ously  uncover  a  jest ;  insignificant  persons  thrust  them 
selves  upon  her  with  questions  that  did  not  seem  to  try 
her  patience  ;  and  close  friends  occasionally  risked  a  com 
pliment  ;  but  they  appeared  to  be  on  equal  footing  in  her 
esteem. 

Some  one  informed  her,  "  We  expect  Jennie  Dantzig." 

"That  woman  !  "  she  at  once  cried.  "What  do  the 
police  intend  to  do  about  it  ?  They  may  stop  the 
dance." 

"  Oh,  no.  They'll  shut  their  eyes  to  her,  and  open 
them  on  a  few  extra  glasses  of  beer." 

"  An  unexpected  entertainer,  surely  !  "  Mrs.  Bronski 
said  with  a  grimace.  "  The  word  '  radical '  covers  a 
multitude  of—" 

"  Virtues,"  finished  Robinson,  "  Don't  forget  we  are 
here.  As  for  Dantzig,  she  will  not  '  swipe '  any  of  your 
laurels." 

"  She  will  recite  her  own  lines,"  came  from  an  un 
expected  quarter.  Dr.  Ratner's  ruddy  countenance  was 
grinning  out  of  a  collar  that  surrounded  his  short  neck 
to  the  ears. 

"Doc,  you  must  have  done  away  with  a  worthy 
member  of  society  to  look  so  solemn."  Red-cheeked 
Magil  had  turned  from  shaking  the  single  finger  extended 
him  by  Mrs.  Bronski.  "  How  do  you  dare  risk  it  among 
these  fiery  thinkers  ? " 

"  Oh,  I'm  an  apostle  of  freedom." 

"  A  golden-tongued  apostle,"  came  caustically  from  a 
round-shouldered,  flat-chested,  bright-eyed  young  man. 
The  remark  had  reference  to  Ratner's  connection  with 
the  Goldmans,  a  part  of  whose  establishment  had  been 
his  dowry. 


WORSHIPPERS  63 

He  allowed  the  observation,  and  others  of  a  similar 
nature,  to  pass  over  him  without  any  show  of  resent 
ment. 

Robinson  exclaimed  : 

"  The  circumference  of  waist  is  Ratner's  ;  but  that 
most  original  thought  is  Hindman's.  How  ready  we 
are  to  supply  quotation  marks  when  we  know  the  in 
dividual  !  " 

"  I  wonder  " — Mrs.  Bronski  had  to  lift  her  voice  to  be 
heard  above  the  din — "  if  Dr.  Hindman  will  be  here  ? " 

"  Dr.  Ratner  is.  Why  not  Hindman  ? "  came  from 
the  young  man  with  the  bright  eyes  and  the  round 
shoulders. 

"  Oh,  in  his  case,"  said  Robinson,  "  he  happens  to  be 
really  fond  of  radical  enthusiasm.  I  suppose  that  be 
tween  a  circus  and  a  show  of  this  sort,  his  preference 
would  go  out  to  his  former  friends.  He  places  great 
stress  on  the  traces  we  show  of  our  animal  descent,  you 
know." 

His  exasperating  smile  was  too  much  for  the  assailant 
of  both  doctors,  and  the  young  man  murmured  something 
about  "animal  conservatism,"  but  was  ignored. 

"If  Hindman  comes,  then  Raman  will  too,"  an 
nounced  Dr.  Ratner. 

"  Raman  !  "  cried  several.      "  Is  he  in  Philadelphia  ? " 

"  Didn't  you  know  it  ?  He  spent  an  evening  with  the 
Goldmans  in  whose  house  the  Philosophical  Club  met 
him."  And  Ratner  enjoyed  the  triumph  he  had  bought 
at  the  Goldmans'  expense. 

"  They  say,"  began  the  fiery  young  man,  "  that  he  is 
developing  a  fine  sense  of  humor.  He  really  needs  that 
to  create  great  literature." 

Which  tended  merely  to  precipitate  a  discussion  on  art. 

The  hall  had  by  this  time  taken  on  the  gayest  of  ap- 


64  WORSHIPPERS 

pearances  ;  and  the  uproar  was  so  deafening  that  the 
older  people,  finding  quiet  conversation  impossible,  had 
to  lift  their  voices  to  the  pitch  of  the  younger  folks,  and 
finally  gave  up  in  despair. 

Sudden  stillness  followed  the  appearance  on  the  plat 
form  of  a  tall,  gaunt,  shrill-voiced  individual  who  an 
nounced  in  doubtful  English  the  first  number  on  the 
programme.  A  Chopin  Prelude  was  rendered  by  a  tiny 
woman  of  uncertain  years.  She  was  prompt  to  respond 
to  the  uproarious  request  for  an  encore. 

Then  a  violinist  essayed  numbers  with  thrilling  sadness 
that  delighted  tender-souled  women. 

Hindman  and  the  poet  were  among  the  late  arrivals. 
They  quickly  slipped  into  rear  seats. 

Applause  died  away  with  the  final  disappearance  of 
the  violinist,  to  be  renewed  as  Katherine  Bronski  slowly 
came  on  the  stage  and  bowed. 

Impassioned  revolt-lines  from  Shelley  made  up  the 
recitation,  reenforced  by  appropriate  gestures,  and  modu 
lations  of  the  musical  voice. 

"  It  was  good  ! "  breathed  Hindman  when  she  had 
finished.  The  applause  shook  the  hall. 

"  Yes."  Then  Raman  gathered  himself  together,  and 
as  an  after-thought  said,  "  But  beyond  the  sound  of  the 
lines  she  seemed  to  get  little  out  of  it." 

"  Of  course  she  missed  its  depth.  It  could  not  be 
otherwise.  Still,  the  very  roll  of  those  lines  was  some 
what  stirring." 

"  It  made  me  think  of  sun  breaking  through  clouds." 

Both  men  had  found  the  woman  exceedingly  attractive 
in  the  glitter  of  lights,  with  the  black  dress  against  the 
white  skin,  and  the  dark  hair  shading  the  pale  brow. 

She  refused  to  recite  again,  despite  the  persistency  of 
the  applause, 


WORSHIPPERS  65 

Other  numbers  followed  ;  but  the  patience  of  the  audi 
ence  suddenly  vanished  ;  and  the  few  who  were  desirous 
of  following  the  programme  had  to  crowd  up  to  the  plat 
form. 

As  if  at  a  signal,  the  seven  hundred  people  in  attend 
ance  got  to  their  feet  with  a  roar  that  rocked  the  walls. 
The  concert  was  over.  To  add  to  the  din,  the  folding 
chairs  were  flattened,  and  flung  to  the  floor. 

Many  began  to  gather  about  the  long  tables  on  which 
tea  was  served  ;  and  the  elders  composed  themselves  for 
lengthy  chats.  The  "  Americanized  "  element  sought 
the  refreshment  tables  and  bar  belowstairs. 

Although  ostensibly  a  gathering  of  the  radicals  of  the 
individualist  type,  the  assemblage  in  the  main  was  made 
up  of  persons  who  held  no  decided  opinion  upon  any  topic 
of  world-wide  interest.  They  dubbed  the  leaders  of  the 
affair  'freaks',  and  danced  gayly  through  the  evening  as 
if  to  disprove  the  contention  that  they  could  not  make 
what  they  pleased  of  their  lives. 

Raman,  absently  watching  the  animated  scene  before 
him  from  over  a  glass  of  tea,  found  himself  near  Miss 
Rovno  whom  he  had  no  difficulty  in  remembering  when 
her  great,  black  eyes  were  turned  upon  him.  He  put  out 
his  hand,  and  after  the  first  few  words,  spoke  of  the  readi 
ness  of  the  younger  people  to  leave  the  issues  of  life 
downstairs  with  their  coats  and  shawls ;  until  he  remem 
bered  that  she  was  but  a  slip  of  a  girl  herself. 

As  she  glanced  from  his  smiling  face  to  the  many  who 
were  forming  in  line  for  the  opening  march,  she  said  : 

"  Ah,  but  are  they  not  fortunate  ?  It  is  much  to  for 
get.  How  happy  they  look  !  To  come  upon  a  gay  mood 
when  one  seeks  it  !  Yet  when  I  see  this,  I  cannot  help 
thinking  of  the  many  young  people  in  Russia  who  go 
to  exile  or  death  for  freedom  grandly  !  quietly  ! — " 


66  WORSHIPPERS 

The  dark  eyes  filled  with  tears. 
"  It  has  cost  you  near  ones  ? "  he  asked. 
"  So  many  !     They  disappeared  often  without  leaving 
a  clue  of  their  whereabouts.     One  day  among  us  ;  the 
next  gone — forever.     Ah,  it  is  so  hard  !  so  hard  ! " 

"  Let  us  be  thankful  for  having  known  such  brave 
souls,"  he  said  warmly.  To  turn  the  conversation  away 
from  the  heart-rending  subject  he  asked,  "  What  do  you 
make  of  America  ?  " 

"  I  am  afraid  you  will  think  I  am  hard  to  please.  But 
somehow  there  seems  to  be  no  sunshine  here.  I  look 
back  on  the  green  fields,  and  our  little  home,  and  the 
blue  sky — that  was  always  blue, — and  find  that  I  feel 
stifled.  And  then  comes  the  fear  that  I  am  forgetting  all 
my  old  friends.  One  ought  never  to  get  very  far  away 
from  the  things  in  which  one  is  interested.  Is  it  not 
so?" 

"  Yes,"  he  admitted.  "  But  you  are  not  forgetting 
about  them,  or  you  would  not  be  speaking  so.  You  can 
be  trusted.  And  by  all  means  keep  up  your  spirits. 
There  is  need  of  sunshine  here.  Have  you  not  found 
that  heavy  burdens  are  everywhere  on  tired  backs? 
About  you  are  earnest  men  and  women.  Their  expres 
sion  may  not  be  as  intense  as  that  of  your  friends  at 
home.  But  they  are  not  the  less  heroes." 

Hindman,  who  had  been  buttonholed  by  an  amateur 
attorney-at-law,  and  had  been  shown  how  with  skill  a 
certain  criminal  could  have  been  "saved,"  made  the  legal 
light  color  by  the  abrupt  way  in  which  he  turned  to 
Raman  and  asked,  "  Done  with  your  tea  ?  Shall  we  take 
a  little  stroll  ?  " 

As  the  two  men  edged  around  the  strings  of  couples 
awaiting  the  signal  for  the  march,  the  poet  re 
marked  : 


WORSHIPPERS  67 

"  I  have  not  seen  any  of  the  students  we  met  at  the 
Goldmans." 

"  They  are  lined  up  with  the  purses." 

"All!  Impossible!" 

"  Well,  not  all.  There  are  several  of  them  who  have 
really  discovered  why  their  heads  were  given  them.  Re 
member  in  what  a  conservative  atmosphere  education  is 
handed  out  in  this  country." 

Katherine  Bronski  waved  a  spoon  merrily  at  them, 
and  they  turned  in  her  direction.  After  the  many  whom 
he  did  not  know  had  been  presented  to  him,  Raman  took 
the  opportunity  to  inform  Mrs.  Bronski  that  he  had  ar 
rived  in  time  to  hear  the  lines  from  Shelley.  His  words 
of  praise  brought  the  color  to  her  cheeks. 

A  crash  of  music,  and  the  march  was  on. 

The  blare  of  instruments  was  magical  in  effect  upon  the 
many  about  the  tables  which  some  of  the  elder  people 
deserted  to  gain  the  moving  line,  while  others  climbed 
chairs  and  applauded.  The  line  itself  was  beginning 
curious  evolutions  that  required  the  watchful  eye  of 
several  supposed  masters  of  the  art  of  dancing  lest  it  be 
come  hopelessly  entangled. 

Those  within  ear-shot  of  Raman  were  favored  with  his 
last  poem,  recited  for  the  benefit  of  the  few  who  had  not 
seen  it  in  print.  When  he  had  finished,  Mrs.  Bronski  took 
the  rose  from  her  hair  and  handed  it  to  him.  He  thanked 
her  with  mock  gravity  that  became  the  spirit  in  which  it 
was  tendered ;  and  then  presented  it  to  Hindman  with 
the  words : 

"  Surely  he  deserves  it,  for  he  has  passed  no  comments 
despite  his  impatience  with  poor  poetry." 

The  doctor,  much  embarrassed,  could  only  say  "  I  am 
in  a  forgiving  mood  to-night." 

Under  the  influence  of  the  music  the  conversation 


68  WORSHIPPERS 

languished,  or  occupied  itself  with  trifles.  Mrs.  Bronski 
was  silent  for  a  long  time  ;  then  suddenly  bent  forward, 
and  said  to  the  poet  in  low  quivering  tones : 

"  Do  you  realize  how  happy  these  young  people  are  ? 
Do  you  notice  how  they  throw  their  hearts  into  the 
gayety  of  it  all  ?  " 

"  The  spirit  of  youth,"  he  smiled,  "  that  denies  com 
pletely,  or  accepts  completely.  The  older  people  in 
their  foolishness  are  saying,  *  To-morrow.'  These  simpler 
hearts,  <  Now  ! '  " 

"The  trouble  with  our  race,"  came  with  a  sigh,  "is 
that  they  give  too  much  heed  to  that  to-morrow.  You 
will  agree  with  me,  I  am  sure." 

"  Perhaps  they  expect  it  to  be  a  little  better  than  to 
day.  It  speaks  well  for  their  hopefulness."  His  glance 
fell  upon  Miss  Rovno  studying  the  crowd,  and  he  touched 
on  her  loneliness. 

"  So  she  has  confided  in  the  poet !  But,  my  friend, 
one  does  not  have  to  travel  five  thousand  miles  to  feel 
lonely.  •  I  remember  in  one  of  your  poems  you  speak  of 
bridging  the  abyss  by  friendship.  But  are  we  not  more 
like  driftwood  in  a  great  ocean  ?  " 

He  disputed  the  statement ;  and  she  watched  the 
emotion-lit  face  whose  soft  eyes  changed  with  every 
turn  of  the  thought.  She  tried  to  realize  what  the  years 
of  poverty  had  brought  him  ;  and  yet  disliked  his  ex 
treme  simplicity  that  served  to  some  extent  as  a  check 
for  the  worshipping  attitude  in  others.  She  noted  how 
at  times  he  seemed  to  ponder  his  words  as  if  measuring 
their  value  ;  and  how  at  other  times  some  simple  idea 
would  awaken  his  astonishment  as  if  startling  vistas  had 
been  opened  to  his  vision.  And  then  her  thoughts 
turned  stealthily  upon  herself;  and  she  came  out  of 
sudden  gloom  to  say : 


WORSHIPPERS  69 

"  Many  of  the  women  here  cry  lustily  their  ambition 
for  equality  in  every  sense." 

"  There  is  no  need  of  clamor  to  get  what  we  are 
strong  enough  to  take,"  Raman  replied  with  a  smile. 

"  Are  you  jesting  ?  "  she  asked  with  a  seriousness  that 
brought  in  return : 

"  You  surely  realize  that  a  will  that  knows  itself 
leaves  high  and  low  silent." 

"  Hello  !  Here  is  a  poetical  rendering  of  metaphysics  !  " 
cried  Hindman,  turning  to  them.  "  You  wouldn't  allow, 
I  suppose,  that  will  in  the  sense  that  you  used  it  is 
merely  the  consciousness  of  the  ability  to  overawe." 

They  were  coaxed  out  of  an  argument  by  Katherine 
who,  suddenly  grown  playful,  thrust  all  sorts  of  edibles 
at  them. 

Magil  seized  her  hands,  and  cried,  "  Come,  do  dance ! 
You  know  you  promised  to  give  my  untutored  feet  a 
hearing." 

"  Boy,  what  means  this  unseemly  disrespect  for  age  ?  " 
she  said  dramatically. 

"  I  promise  to  reverence  the  toes.     Do  come !  " 

They  went  to  the  floor  and  glided  away,  Magil' s 
countenance  wreathed  in  smiles,  his  partner  whispering 
dance-advice  as  she  leaned  against  him.  Hindman' s 
eyes  had  laughter  in  them  when  he  turned  to  the  poet ; 
but  the  latter' s  face  was  a  mask. 

At  this  moment  David  Bronski,  buttoned  into  his 
overcoat,  and  hat  in  hand,  came  sliding  against  the  chairs 
lined  up  along  the  tables,  carefully  keeping  out  of  the 
way  of  the  dancers.  He  paused  when  he  reached  the 
two  men. 

"  Have  a  glass  of  tea,"  said  Hindman. 

Bronski  turned  from  shaking  hands  with  the  poet  to 
say,  "  No,  thank  you.  I  am  very  tired,  and  must  get 


70  WORSHIPPERS 

away.  I  am  looking  for — Ah  !  There  she  is  !  "  And 
he  nodded  his  head  vigorously  at  his  wife  to  continue 
dancing  when  she  made  a  motion  to  stop. 

"  Been  busy  ?  "  Hindman  asked. 

"  A  little  ;  mostly  small  sales,  though." 

He  dropped  into  the  chair  vacated  by  his  wife,  and 
chatted  to  Raman,  whose  tone  was  gentle  and  caressing, 
although  the  grey,  worn  face  forced  him  to  avert  his 
eyes. 

With  a  resounding  thump  of  the  drum  the  orchestra 
finished  the  dance.  Katherine,  flushed  and  perspiring, 
ran  towards  the  place  where  her  husband  sat,  and  tumbled 
into  a  chair,  laughing  as  she  fanned  herself. 

"  Why  don't  you  take  your  overcoat  off  and  stay 
awhile  ?  "  she  urged.  "  It  is  early." 

"  I  am  very  tired,  dear,"  he  said  with  a  shade  of  re 
proach  in  his  voice. 

"  But  you  needn't  dance.  Have  a  glass  of  tea,  and 
get  rested.  Another  half  hour,  and  I  will  go  home." 

"I'm  more  than  tired  :  sleepy,"  he  sighed.  "  Of 
course,  if  it's  only  a  half  hour — " 

Robinson  came  up,  and  after  shaking  hands  with  Mr. 
Bronski,  asked  Katherine  for  the  next  dance. 

She  laughingly  granted  it  ;  and  sailed  away  on  his  arm 
to  make  up  the  eight  of  a  quadrille. 

"  If  I  got  so  little  in  return  for  my  effort  as  the  con 
ductors  of  this  enterprise,"  said  Bronski,  "  I  would  not 
undertake  it." 

"  Come,  don't  forget  how  many  people  give  a  whole 
life  of  work  for  chance  praise,"  Hindman  laughed. 

"  The  words  of  praise,  you  forget,  mean  that  someone 
has  been  made  happy,"  objected  Raman. 

"  It  is  true !  "  Bronski  muttered.  "  It  is  true  ! 
Happiness  !  Yes,  we  must  have  it ;  else  what  is  the  use 


WORSHIPPERS  71 

of  all  the  up-hill  work  ?  See  "—with  a  sweep  of  the 
hand  towards  the  dancers—"  how  happy  they  are  ! " 

Hindman  barely  saved  himself  from  a  growl  of,  "  Hap 
piness  of  the  flesh ! "  mindful  of  Katherine's  presence  on 
the  floor. 

A  pretty,  tall,  golden-haired  girl,  with  rosy  cheeks  and 
crimson  lips  was  laughing  melodiously  near  them  at  some 
jest  of  a  white-faced  male  companion.  Not  knowing  the 
three  men  who  were  idly  watching  the  maneuvers  of  the 
couples  she  audaciously  smiled  at  them.  Raman  and 
Bronski  returned  the  smile  in  restrained  fashion.  The 
doctor's  eyes  swept  the  well-formed  body  with  a  glance 
that  turned  the  girl's  face  in  an  opposite  direction. 

"  Aren't  you  people  dancing  ? "  came  from  a  short- 
haired,  little  woman  of  middle  age  who  paused  in  her  way 
past  them. 

"  We  are  just  waiting  to  quarrel  over  you  for  a  part 
ner,"  Bronski  laughed.  "  How  much  do  you  expect  to 
fleece  these  people  out  of?  " 

"Five  hundred  dollars.  And  may  they  never  be 
fleeced  for  a  worse  cause  ! " 

"  That's  not  a  bad  sum,"  said  Bronski ;  "  indeed  not 
a  bad  sum  !  I  congratulate  you." 

The  woman  turned  to  Hindman  who  had  ignored  her. 

"  It  was  kind  of  you  to  neglect  your  patients  for  our 
sake."  The  irony  in  her  tone  did  not  disturb  him. 

"  My  patients  make  it  a  point  to  stay  well  while  you 
are  getting  money  for  the  cause." 

After  a  brief  pause,  the  woman  turned  hesitatingly  to 
Raman  who  had  also  ignored  her,  and  said  : 

"  Why  is  it  your  poems  lack  the  revolutionary  note 
these  days  ?  " 

Hindman,  catching  the  look  of  embarrassment  on  his 
friend's  face,  interposed : 


72  WORSHIPPERS 

"  You'll  be  accusing  Mr.  Bronski  next  that  his  drugs 
are  not  as  good  as  they  were." 

"  Oh,  he's  the  only  one  of  the  three  who  is  seriously 
given  to  money-making."  And  the  woman  beat  a  re 
treat  from  the  unsympathetic  atmosphere. 

"  Don't  you  know  her  ? "  the  doctor  asked  Raman. 

"Oh,  yes!" 

"  You  can't  mean  to  say  that  you  dare  openly  show 
your  dislike !  " 

"  Let  me  give  you  my  reasons.  She  once  got  up  in 
a  mass-meeting  in  New  York  and  said  I  was  being  paid 
by  the  conservative  press  to  tone  down  my  views.  But, 
as  you  see,  she  still  has  hopes  for  my  salvation,  for  she 
continues  to  seek  the  revolutionary  note." 

"  In  her  love  of  humanity/'  said  Bronski,  "she  can 
not  find  a  dozen  kind  words  for  three — no,  two sin 
ners.  Fortunately,  she  thinks  I  am  useful  since  I  al 
ways  buy  a  ticket  for  the  affair." 

Hindman  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"As  for  you,"  he  said  to  the  poet,  "it  happens  to  be 
your  business  to  forgive  people  like  that.  You  ought 
to  have  offered  some  soothing  explanation." 

"  I  was  afraid  she  would  try  to  explain  her  good  in 
tentions  at  that  meeting.  Still,  she  is  honest.  She  hap 
pened  to  be  misinformed  at  the  time.  The  sort  of 
woman  to  man  a  barricade  if  such  an  evil  day  befall 
us." 

They  grew  silent  under  the  spell  of  the  music  that 
swung  the  many  groups  back  and  forth  rythmically  on 
the  polished  floor.  Cries  of  advice  were  heard  on  all 
sides  as  the  quadrille  went  on.  Mistakes  brought  impa 
tient  laughter  from  those  whose  experience  had  cost 
them  many  evenings,  and  they  were  as  loud  in  their  shouts 
of  dissatisfaction  at  the  conclusion  of  the  number  as 


WORSHIPPERS  73 

the  beginners  who  were  now  almost  certain  of  the  correct 
figures  of  the  dance. 

Katherine  Bronski  returned  in  the  gayest  of  moods. 

"  Dance  music  doth  make  children  of  us  all !  "  she 

cried. 

"  Let's  be  wise,  and  go  home,"  coaxed  her  husband. 

«  Very  well." 

She  arose  ;  but  reseated  herself  promptly  at  Hind- 
man's  reminder  of  the  risk  she  ran  in  exposing  herself  to 
the  cold  air  while  overheated. 

At  parting,  the  Bronskis  pressed  upon  Raman  to  call. 
It  forced  him  to  apologize  for  his  neglect  of  them. 

"  I  have  promised  to  spend  an  evening  with  the  Nasts 
the  day  after  to-morrow,"  he  made  mention.  "  Mrs. 
Nast  wrote  me  a  flattering  letter  in  wonderful  Russian. 
She  expects  you  there.  I  do  not  know  them." 

"  Our  best  friends,"  said  Bronski  warmly.  "  We  are 
sure  to  be  there.  So  we  will  have  quite  an  evening 
together." 

«  You  will   find  them   delightful  people,"  Katherine 

added. 

When  the  two  men  were  alone,  Hindman  asked  : 

"  I  wonder  whether  he  has  gotten  much  in  return  for 
his  efforts  ?  " 

"  Have  pity,"   Raman  pleaded. 

"  Let  us  have  it  for  ourselves,  and  go." 

As  they  reached  the  bottom  of  the  stairs,  they  were 
hailed  by  a  voice  from  the  refreshment  room.  A  curly- 
haired,  little  fellow  rushed  out  to  invite  them  to  join  him 
in  a  bottle  of  wine.  He  pleaded  so  earnestly  that  they 
were  forced  to  yield. 

"A  bottle  of  wine  here!"  he  roared,  rapping  on  a 
table  that  was  far  enough  removed  from  the  crowd  to 
allow  him  Raman  and  the  doctor  to  himself. 


74  WORSHIPPERS 

The  bottle  quickly  appeared,  and  he  filled  the  glasses 
while  chattering  away.  Hindman  managed  to  get 
in : 

"  Well,  what  camp  boasts  of  you  now  ?  Have  you 
made  up  your  mind  ?  " 

"  It  was  always  made  up.  I  am  an  idealist.  So  I 
help  the  individualists,  the  collectivists,  the  co-operative 
organizations,  the  trades-unions,  and  the  educational  so 
cieties.  I  go  to  all  the  lectures,  read  all  the  sides,  and 
find  that  they  all  say  wonderful  things.  There  is  a 
whole  lot  of  truth  in  what  they  all  preach.  So  I  drink 
to  Idealism.  May  it  survive  when  every  other  'ism  fails  ! 
That  should  appeal  to  you,  Mr.  Raman." 

"  Excuse  me,  I  am  going  to  drink,  but  not  to  that." 
And  having  emptied  his  glass,  the  poet  said,  "  I  have  no 
respect  for  the  social  philosophy  which  makes  its  coat 
out  of  every  <  'ism.'  True  it  is  attractive  because  of  its 
many  colors.  But  for  the  ordinary  mortal  it  is  alto 
gether  too  fantastic.  Seems  like  a  patching,  in  fact. 
You  will  excuse  us,  will  you  not  ?  It  is  late,  and  I  am 
very  tired." 

"  Certainly  !     Certainly !  " 

They  left  the  idealist  quarreling  with  several  who  had 
been  more  attracted  by  the  resources  of  his  bottle  than 
of  his  logic. 

The  two  men  found  the  street  unusually  quiet  after 
the  uproar  in  the  hall.  Dance  music  floated  out  upon 
the  night-air,  and  laughter,  and  subdued  shouts.  But  it 
was  all  foreign  to  the  stillness  that  hung  over  the  city. 
Overhead  the  few  stars  that  glistened  in  the  smoke- 
touched  air  promised  a  clear  day  for  the  morrow. 

"  Katherine  Bronski,"  began  Hindman,  "  also  calls  her 
self  an  idealist,  for  the  very  opposite  reason :  because  she 
rejects  all  other  '  'isms.'  Some  people  call  the  effects  of 


WORSHIPPERS  75 

emotions  '  thinking.'  For  the  first  time  you  forgot  your 
customary  courtesy." 

«  When  ? " 

"  When  you  refused  to  stay  with  that  last  idealist  to 
prove  that  eclecticism  might  suit  an  aristocrat,  but  not  a 
ten-dollar  a  week  cigar-maker." 

Raman  spoke  of  the  thoughts  induced  by  a  slumber 
ing  city. 

"  Spectres  help  your  work,  I  suppose,"  Hindman  said 
with  a  smile. 

"  Not  the  spectres  of  our  forefathers.  But  you  must 
know  that  in  certain  moods  we  bring  the  world  to  us 
like  a  confiding  child.  Have  you  not  stared  out  upon 
New  York  and  trembled  ?" 

"  A  man  who  possesses  so  little  of  worldly  goods  as 
you  ? " 

The  doctor  smiled  at  the  silence  which  followed.  He 
asked  : 

"  You  intend  to  make  it  until  summer  ? " 

"  Eh  ?     Oh  !     Why, — yes.     You  are  not  sorry  ? " 

"  How  can  I  be  ?  Wishing  you  well,  I  cannot  help 
but  look  upon  you  as  a  possible  patient." 

"  I  promise  to  disappoint  your  expectations." 

Their  banter  did  not  bridge  a  gulf. 


76  WORSHIPPERS 


CHAPTER  VI 

"  T  "IT  TELL,    I  am   ready   now,"    said    Hindman, 

\/^     slipping  on  his   cuffs  as  he  stood  in  the 

doorway  between  his  waiting-  and  examin- 

ing-room  after  dismissing  a  patient.     "  You  wear  a  tired 

look  for  a  man  who  has  a  long  evening  before  him." 

"  The  result  of  a  day's  work.  I  did  not  know  I  was 
worn  out  until  the  last  page  was  finished."  And  Raman 
got  to  his  feet  with  a  yawn. 

"  Well,  I  can  reassure  you  :  we  are  going  to  a  place 
where  you  will  suffer  no  mental  strain.  That  is,  they 
will  let  you  off  if  you  will  be  tactful  enough  to  nod  your 
head  every  once  in  a  while.  I'm  not  in  favor  with  Mrs. 
Nast  because  I  dare  disagree  with  her  without  seeming  to 
be  sorry  about  it.  And,  again,  I  am  not  spiritual  enough. 
The  music  may  startle  you  a  little."  He  hid  a  smile  by 
glancing  at  his  watch.  "  We  will  be  somewhat  early." 

Raman  had  wandered  over  to  the  bookcase,  and  was 
studying  the  backs  of  the  many  volumes. 

"  You  must  be  quite  an  authority  on  biological  evolu 
tion,"  he  said  at  last.  "  That  might  certainly  make  up 
one's  life-work." 

"  I  am  satisfied  to  be  an  authority  in  a  small  way.  It 
was  my  task  to  pry  all  the  ambitious  societies  about  here 
loose  from  their  biblical  moorings.  One  man  who  ac 
cidentally  happened  to  keep  awake  during  one  of  my 
lectures  told  me  that  it  was  a  crime  to  teach  such  heart 
less  subjects.  Perhaps  the  fault  was  mine." 

"  Very  possible,"  came  bluntly. 


WORSHIPPERS  77 

"  Well,  you  know  they  make  much  of  what  is  called 
Darwinistic  Pessimism." 

"  The  near-sighted  must  simply  find  their  subject  re 
treating  a  little,  and  grow  frightened." 

"  But  when  it  finally  filters  down  through  the  masses, 
will  they  not  become  mere  Hedonists  ?  " 

"  Mere  ?  " 

"  Oh,  all  do  not  take  their  pleasures  as  you  do.  I  think 
the  superior  class  does  not  realize  how  research  is  cutting 
into  everything  holy.  When  it  is  shown  that  nothing  is 
stable,  that  institutions  are  fleeting,  that  in  the  struggle 
of  classes  for  power  numbers  begin  to  count,  that  rest 
lessness  is  no  longer  expressed  vaguely ;  why,  the  white, 
perfumed  body  will  find  itself  in  a  cold  sweat." 

"  Bravo  !  "  cried  Raman.  "  That  sounded  like  your 
old  self !  " 

"  Oh,  it  was  only  habit ;  like  the  man  who  wriggles  his 
feet  in  his  sleep  when  he  works  a  sewing  machine  in  the 
day-time." 

Raman  laughed  heartily  at  the  comparison.  He  pulled 
the  bookcase  door  open. 

"  You  have  most  of  the  big  poets  here,  I  see,"  were  his 
next  words. 

"  Look  out  for  the  dust.     I  do  not  use  them  now." 

The  copies  were  well  worn.  In  a  few  moments  Raman 
had  forgotten  the  other  man  in  his  journey  through  rich 
lines  of  verse  ;  and  the  doctor  was  forced  to  say  : 

"  We  had  better  go  now,  or  you  will  not  want  to  stir 
at  all  in  a  little  while.  It  is  a  relief,  eh,  to  see  how 
things  look  when  there  isn't  a  suggestion  of  hard  work 
about  them  ? " 

With  a  sigh  the  poet  returned  Heine  to  its  place  in  the 
row,  then  laughingly  confided,  "  I  turn  to  our  Jewish 
friend  here  when  I  want  to  reward  myself  for  a  day's 


78  WORSHIPPERS 

industry.  He  should  have  been  born  in  some  other 
period  than  the  one  in  which  he  lived,  though." 

The  remark  furnished  them  material  for  dispute  during 
their  entire  walk. 

The  house  before  which  Hindman  halted  announced 
from  both  the  ledges  of  the  lower  windows  Dr.  Nast's 
profession ;  and  a  glass  case  contained  a  display  of  arti 
ficial  teeth.  All  blinds  were  drawn  as  if  to  shut  out 
completely  the  external  world. 

With  the  ring  of  the  bell  the  two  men  found  them 
selves  flooded  with  light  as  the  door  abruptly  swung 
open  ;  and  when  they  disposed  of  their  hats  and  overcoats 
on  the  rack,  they  were  conscious  of  a  sudden  stilling  of 
voices  in  the  front  room.  Hindman's  comments  upon 
the  awing  power  of  the  poet's  presence  were  cut  short 
by  the  appearance  of  a  little  woman  of  considerable  girth 
who  greeted  them  in  Russian.  The  dentist,  also  small, — 
though  wanting  the  proportions  of  his  wife, — came  for 
ward  before  they  reached  the  parlor,  and  shook  hands 
warmly. 

In  the  parlor  they  found  a  handsome,  soft-voiced, 
bearded  young  man  who  went  by  the  name  of  Beranov, 
and  was  introduced  to  them  as  a  "  critic  of  music ;  "  a 
tall,  broad-faced,  flaxen-haired  fellow  named  Fustnitz, 
who  seized  Raman's  hand  with  crushing  force,  and  was 
"profoundly  happy  to  know  him;"  three  silent,  shy 
women  huddled  in  a  corner  ;  and  Robinson,  carefully 
attired. 

There  was  another  ring  of  the  bell,  and  Mrs.  Bronski 
entered  with  Magil  who  brought  laughter  into  the  solemn 
house.  He  slapped  Dr.  Nast  on  the  shoulder,  cracked 
a  joke  at  Robinson's  expense,  grinned  at  the  three  ladies 
in  the  corner,  asked  Raman  whether  he  was  getting  ac 
customed  to  the  pace  of  Philadelphia's,  life,  inquired  of 


WORSHIPPERS  79 

Dr.  Hindman  how  he  and  the  undertakers  were  "  making 
it,"  and  was  not  at  all  afraid  of  Mrs.  Nast  who  was  at  a 
loss  to  manage  him.  She  turned  her  attention  to  the 
poet. 

"  I  am  so  sorry,"  she  began,  pulling  her  chair  close  to 
him,  and  studying  his  face,  "  that  I  do  not  read  Yiddish. 
Your  work  must  be  very  profound,  for  they  all  cannot 
tell  me  enough  about  it."  The  Russian  she  spoke  was 
flawless  and  stately.  "  You  write  only  in  Yiddish  ?  " 
Her  tone  edged  on  depreciation. 

"  Only  in  Yiddish,"  he  said,  smiling  a  little. 

"  But  of  course  you  strive  for  high  art ;  you  make  it 
say  fine,  noble  things  that  reach  the  hearts  of  your 
readers." 

"  As  much  as  lies  in  my  power." 

"  That  is  right."  Her  manner  of  address  might  have 
served  her  with  Magil.  "  No  doubt  your  ambition  is  to 
write  in  English." 

"  After  some  years  of  study  of  the  language  I  may  be 
bold  enough  to  undertake  some  work  in  it." 

"  Ah,  I  see  you  are  conscious  of  the  difficulties.  It  is 
too  idiomatic.  Still,  it  is  a  pleasant  language  ;  although 
I  never  cared  to  accustom  myself  to  it,  since  here  we 
rarely  speak  anything  else  than  Russian.  Perhaps  we 
are  not  good  Americans."  Her  smile  warned  him  that 
she  was  jesting. 

"  Russian  well  spoken  is  a  virtue  anywhere,"  he  said, 
much  to  her  delight. 

"  You  care  for  music  ?  "  was  her  next  question. 

"Very  much." 

"  Naturally  :  a  poet.  The  two  arts  are  intertwined. 
I  suppose  you  have  heard  them  call  architecture  frozen 
music.  Well,  poetry  is  music  just  thawing.  Do  you 
not  think  it  is  a  good  definition  ? " 


80  WORSHIPPERS 

He  laughingly  refused  to  concede  anything  short  of 
first  place  to  his  art. 

"  I  know  :  you  are  sensitive  about  your  work.  I  do 
not  blame  you.  When  I  hear  a  good  poem,  I  say,  *  Can 
anything  be  grander  ? '  When  I  play  Chopin  or  Schu 
mann  I  say  the  same  thing.  We  are  many  sided.  Ah, 
how  romantic  life  can  be  among  the  arts ! " 

She  stared  dreamily  before  her.  Hindman,  who  had 
been  in  conversation  with  Dr.  Nast,  looked  over  in  her 
direction,  and  blew  his  nose  loudly.  The  action  aroused 
Magil  to  a  remonstrance. 

"  If  we  are  to  have  music,  let  it  be  the  real  stuff,"  he 
cried. 

"  Yes,"  said  Mrs.  Nast  to  Raman,  "  we  shall  have  both 
music  and  poetry ;  which  is  possible  only  in  song.  Mr. 
Robinson  has  an  excellent  voice,  excellent  and  very 
sweet.  His  is  an  emotional  nature." 

Mr.  Robinson  was  being  urged  to  sing. 

"  I  am  not  in  good  voice  to-day,"  he  pleaded. 

"  That's  what  you  always  say.  Yet  do  we  ever  com 
plain  ? "  said  Magil. 

"  Complain ! "  came  indignantly  from  Mrs.  Nast. 
"  Why  do  you  use  such  a  word  ? " 

"  It  is  very  good  of  you,"  murmured  Robinson,  and 
looked  expectantly  in  her  direction. 

At  once  she  got  to  her  feet,  and  went  to  the  piano, 
where  she  assumed  a  very  correct  position.  The  in 
troduction  to  the  song  which  Robinson  had  selected  was 
played  slowly  and  with  careful  pedaling.  When  his 
turn  came,  he  acquitted  himself  to  the  satisfaction  of  all. 
Raman  told  him,  "  You  have  an  excellent  voice.  I  must 
certainly  praise  the  way  you  use  it ; "  and  his  interest  in 
the  light-hearted  man  was  heightened.  Even  Hindman 
had  not  been  chary  of  his  applause.  Mrs.  Nast  cried  : 


WORSHIPPERS  81 

"  What  an  artist  the  world  has  lost  in  you,  Mr.  Rob 
inson  ! " 

"  Sh  !  "  warned  Magil.  "  Don't  say  anything  to  the 
world." 

Mrs.  Nast  turned  frowningly  upon  him. 

"  You  lack  completely  the  art  instinct,"  she  scolded. 

"  Haven't  I  been  very  patient  ? "  he  argued. 

"  He  is  a  terror,"  murmured  Dr.  Nast.  His  smile 
was  crushed  by  a  disapproving  glance  from  his  wife. 

"  And  now,  what  of  yourself,  Mrs.  Nast  ? "  cried  Rob 
inson. 

"Yes,  don't  forget  yourself,"  Hindman  urged.  The 
poet  suspected  his  serious  mien,  and  nervously  awaited 
the  outcome. 

"  Fortunately,"  said  Katherine  Bronski,  "  Mrs.  Nast 
is  true  artiste  enough  not  to  have  to  be  coaxed." 

"  I  didn't  see  you  do  double  stunts  at  the  ball  the  other 
night,"  growled  Magil. 

"There  is  all  the  difference,  my  cheerful  numskull, 
between  a  circle  of  friends  and  a  gathering  of  the  curious," 
she  replied. 

"  I  stand  corrected.  Let  us  have  the  music,  Mrs. 
Nast." 

That  lady,  striking  a  chord,  began  in  great  shrieks  a 
lament  that  was  very  weird  and  full  of  possibilities  for  a 
feeling  interpreter. 

Hindman  studied  his  shoes,  Raman  a  point  high  in 
the  wall,  Robinson  the  ceiling.  Young  Magil  was  rub 
bing  his  chin  ;  and  Mr.  Beranov,  the  musical  critic,  shifted 
uneasily  in  his  seat. 

When  silence  was  at  last  vouchsafed  the  auditors, 
Fustnitz  of  the  flaxen  hair  cried  : 

"  What  grief  !  That  composer  has  suffered  the  tor 
ments  of  hell." 


82  WORSHIPPERS 

"  Ah,"  said  Mrs.  Nast,  wiping  her  eyes,  "it  was  grief ! 
Have  you  ever  heard  anything  so  full  of  tears  ?  Too 
sad  !  It  unnerves  me.  We  Russians  feel  altogether  too 
much." 

"  Altogether  too  much,"  Hindman  echoed.  "  But  of 
course  we  are  not  Russians." 

"  And  now,"  Magil  in  a  lucky  moment  interposed, 
"  let  us  have  the  duet.  Robinson  do  your  duty.  Come 
now!" 

"  Oh,  let  it  go  for  another  time,"  Robinson  said  brus 
quely,  aware  that  the  young  man  was  mischief -bent. 

Mrs.  Nast  sat  calm  and  unapproachable,  waiting  for  a 
general  request. 

The  three  ladies  who  had  been  as  the  dead  raised 
their  voices. 

"  Come,  you  must  sacrifice  your  non-desire  for  the 
pleasure  of  the  company,  Mr.  Robinson,"  the  hostess 
herself  suddenly  scolded. 

So  they  sang  the  duet,  the  voices  blending  in  most 
curious  fashion,  and  shaking  the  room.  When  it  was 
finished,  Mrs.  Nast  sighed.  Others  did  the  same. 

"It  is  just  so,"  the  hostess  held  forth:  "We  must 
put  life  aside  and  give  ourselves  to  poetry  and  music. 
They  are  the  salvation  of  existence.  Otherwise  how  un- 
romantic  the  days  are  !  And  we  steal  to  our  music,  and 
to  poetry," — a  concession  to  the  guest  of  the  evening— 
"  and  there  is  no  day." 

The  romantically-inclined  cried,  "  True  !  True  !  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Fustnitz ;  "  but  we  must  accept  also  the 
realities  of  life  so  that  they  may  become  poetical  facts." 

"  Suppose  we  go  into  the  dining-room  and  have  some 
thing,"  the  husband  of  Mrs.  Nast  suggested. 

Several  risked  the  displeasure  of  the  hostess  by  laugh 
ing  outright ;  but  since  among  these  were  close  friends 


WORSHIPPERS  83 

who  could  not  have  meant  ill,  she  made  an  effort  to  dis 
cover  the  humor  in  the  exchange  of  words.  Failing, 
she  decided  that  Magil  had  been  at  his  tricks. 

As  they  were  drifting  out  of  the  parlor  they  were 
joined  by  a  man  who  had  just  been  admitted  to  the  house. 
He  was  introduced  as  Mr.  Neshon.  One  of  his  shoulders 
was  higher  than  the  other ;  the  pear-shaped  head  with 
its  bristling  hair  sat  low  on  his  shoulders ;  and  the  lips 
protruded  unnaturally  between  mustache  and  beard. 

"  Your  poems,"  he  said  to  Raman,  "  are  the  expression 
of  the  longing  of  those  submerged  men.  And  of  course 
your  lines  are  more  than  this,  since  it  is  through  you 
that  the  dreams  are  expressed.  And  I  think  very  highly 
of  your  feuilletons.  They  are  awakeners." 

He  proved  to  be  a  supporter  of  the  radical  Yiddish 
newspaper  in  which  the  poet  was  interested  ;  and  at 
once  they  were  deep  in  discussion  of  its  methods  and  of 
its  future,  until  Mrs.  Nast,  indignant  that  the  man  whom 
she  had  placed  at  the  head  of  her  table  should  be  forced 
into  dry-as-dust  topics,  led  the  conversation  into  other 
channels. 

"  Mr.  Raman,  do  you  deal  with  the  *  Grand  Passion  '  ? " 
she  began. 

The  question  was  not  without  its  embarrassment  for 
the  poet.  He  answered  gravely  : 

"  We  see  so  much  of  mating,  that  it  is  nothing  if  not 
the  proper  thing  to  glorify  it." 

"  Ah,  yes.  But  surely  you  cannot  mean  the  prosaic 
mating  of  our  times  !  I  am  positive  that  with  but  few 
exceptions  the  grand  passion  survives  only  among  the 
simpler  people  where  it  is  beautiful  since  it  is  only  for 
its  own  sake." — ("  Heavens  !  Is  that  woman  mad  ? 
To  deal  with  such  a  subject  here  !  "  Raman  inwardly 
protested,  wondering  what  Katherine  Bronski's  thoughts 


84  WORSHIPPERS 

might  be.) — "  How  magnificent  is  Carmen  in  her  affec 
tion  !  This  is  ideal  love !  No  guessing  what  it  will 
lead  to.  No  weighing  or  considering.  Just  passion, 
pure  passion,  speaking  right  out.  It  is  the  cause  of  im 
mortal  art.  He  who  has  loved  well  has  enriched  the 
world." 

And  in  the  silence  which  had  fallen  upon  all  about 
that  table,  Mrs.  Nast  dwelt  at  some  length  on  the  great 
amours  that  had  come  down  through  history  and  tradition. 
Her  memory  was  excellent ;  and  as  she  gazed  enthusi 
astically  through  her  glasses,  now  at  one  person,  now 
at  another,  names  and  dates  flowed  without  a  break. 

Raman  wondered  why  young  Magil  was  studiously 
avoiding  the  opportunity  for  a  sally  although  grinning 
complacently.  He  turned  to  Hindman.  The  doctor 
was  sipping  his  tea  with  a  grave  air. 

Several  times  Mrs.  Nast  sought  to  arouse  the  poet's 
enthusiasm  ;  but  he  pleaded  a  poor  memory. 

At  last  Hindman  plunged  into  a  presentation  of  the 
biologist's  attitude  towards  the  question,  dealing  with  it 
in  merciless  detail.  And  having  made  a  beginning,  he 
swept  Mrs.  Nast  out  of  the  way,  not  allowing  her  a 
word,  and  shocked  everyone  by  his  naked  exposition  of 
the  subject. 

Much  to  their  relief,  chance  mention  of  history's  view 
of  the  origin  of  the  family  allowed  Mr.  Neshon — a  lawyer 
conversant  with  many  branches  of  learning — to  enter  the 
lists  in  protest  of  what  he  called  "  a  gross  misstatement 
of  facts." 

Conversation  was  resumed  about  the  table  while  he  and 
the  doctor  wrestled  with  each  other.  Hindman's  "  How 
can  you  make  such  assertions  ?"  and  the  lawyer's  oft- 
repeated  "  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  which  rose  like  a  shriek, 
soon  ceased  to  disturb  the  others;  except  that  once 


WORSHIPPERS  85 

Katherine  Bronski  remarked  ironically,  "  We  are  foolish 
not  to  listen."  Which  brought  from  Hindman,  who  had 
lost  his  temper  in  handling  insufficient  data,  "  It  is  truth 
we  are  after.  We  leave  the  good  and  beautiful  to  you." 

Mrs.  Nast  had  concluded  that  the  poet  was  an  excellent 
conversationalist,  since  he  did  not  differ  with  her  emotional 
interpretation  of  life.  She  found  him  listening  as  at 
tentively  to  her  discourses  on  Russian  literature,  German 
music,  and  Italian  art ;  and  unburdened  herself  at  great 
length  of  all  she  had  learnt,  blind  to  the  weariness  which 
he  could  not  entirely  conceal. 

Katherine,  under  the  influence  of  the  languor  which 
had  stolen  upon  her,  was  dreamily  absorbed  in  her  own 
thoughts.  She  wondered  in  her  lassitude  why  she  should 
saddle  herself  with  cares  when  she  could  make  them 
vanish  at  will,  when  she  could  find  comfort  in  friendship, 
in  books,  in  an  existence  that  did  not  entail  material 
hardship.  Raman  would  say  that  soul-weariness  was 
cowardice. 

Her  eyes  travelled  to  his  face,  and  she  remarked  how 
tired  he  was. 

Suddenly  he  looked  at  her  and  smiled.  Instead  of 
meeting  his  glance  with  composure,  the  muscles  of  her 
face  became  rigid.  It  lasted  but  a  brief  moment,  yet  it 
sufficed  to  fill  her  with  dismay.  And  as  she  recovered 
herself,  she  was  furious.  The  blood  swept  over  her  body ; 
and  her  heart  throbbed  painfully. 

She  hastily  got  to  her  feet. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  asked  Hindman  as  he  caught 
sight  of  the  pale  face. 

"  Nothing.     I  was  feeling  faint.     It  is  close  here." 

"Don't  get  your  death-cold,"  warned  Mrs.  Nast  as 
Katherine  made  her  way  to  a  window.  The  young  woman 
reseated  herself  promptly,  and  tried  to  laugh. 


86  WORSHIPPERS 

Raman  was  stunned  by  the  apparently  meaningless  in 
cident.  He  did  not  seek  to  fathom  its  cause ;  but  as 
sumed  a  careless  air  lest  the  unnerved  woman  opposite 
him  read  his  thoughts. 

Mrs.  Nast  was  holding  forth  on  the  work  of  preparation 
for  the  Russian  revolt,  and  was  all  aglow  with  praise  of 
the  men  behind  it. 

"  Here  they  do  not  understand  such  things,"  she  said. 
"  To  the  average  American  it  looks  very  wild  to  give  up 
one's  life  for  liberty.  They  are  not  in  the  mood  for  such 
sacrifices.  Ah,  what  sacrifices !  "  Her  voice  fell  sorrow 
fully. 

"  Of  course,"  said  Hindman,  "  you  have  seen  their 
new  representative.  He  was  in  my  office  the  day 
before  yesterday.  They  are  badly  in  need  of  money 
just  now." 

"  When  they  send  their  representative  I  give  liber 
ally,"  replied  the  hostess  in  a  voice  that  rang  faintly 
false. 

"  Well,  when  I  see  him  again  I  will  send  him,"  the 
doctor  hastened  to  assure  her. 

"  Of  course.     I  shall  be  glad  to  meet  him. " 

Dr.  Nast  thoughtfully  pulled  on  his  mustache. 

"  They  are  certainly  persistent,"  said  Fustnitz. 

"  How  is  it  that  the  grand  rebels  are  always  in  the 
other  country  ?  "  asked  Neshon  bitingly.  "  You  students 
are  not  as  fortunate  as  those  in  Russia  ;  for  there  they 
find  open  opposition  to  freedom,  while  here  every  leader 
thinks  only  of  how  to  destroy  the  conditions  which  separate 
classes,  which  make  poverty  so  rampant,  which  create  the 
criminal — " 

"  The  student  body  attends  to  its  own  business,"  Fust 
nitz  hotly  interrupted. 

"  Of  course.     It  is  somewhat    difficult  to  keep  the 


WORSHIPPERS  87 

other  person's  interests  in  mind,"  Neshon  said  contemp 
tuously. 

"  You  are  not  in  prison  here  for  speaking  your  mind," 
timidly  interposed  Dr.  Nast. 

"  My  Siberian  experience  might  almost  be  duplicated 
if  I  got  on  a  street  corner  and  suggested  that  our  so 
ciety  was  morally  bankrupt,  so  certain  are  they  here  that 
it  is  not." 

Mrs.  Nast  tried  to  arouse  the  poet  by  saying  : 

"  You  do  not  discuss  ?  " 

"  If  it  is  to  convince  the  other  man  against  his  con 
victions,  it  is  akin  to  quarreling  ;  hardly  a  method,"  he 
said,  trying  to  appear  interested. 

Bronski  brought  a  measure  of  peace  by  his  entrance. 
With  a  cracked  "  Hullo  !  "  he  seated  himself  near  Mrs. 
Nast  who  treated  him  with  marked  attention,  and  in 
quired  after  his  health.  His  gloomy  tone  brought  a 
growl  from  Hindman,  who  said,  "  Don't  believe  him. 
All  he  needs  is  a  rest." 

"  So  that  is  the  sort  of  hope  you  hold  out ! "  cried 
Bronski. 

"  How  witty  you  are  ! "  Mrs.  Nast  said  with  a  great 
laugh. 

"  I  have  left  my  cares  at  the  store." 

It  was  almost  midnight  before  they  gave  any  thought 
to  the  hour. 

Outside,  Fustnitz  drew  a  deep  breath,  and  pronounced 
the  night  "magnificent." 

Beranov,  the  "  critic  of  music,"  who  had  not  spoken  a 
dozen  words  during  the  whole  evening,  murmured,  "  For 
a  cigarette  I  would  agree  with  you." 

Hands  touched  for  a  moment  at  the  corner  where  the 
Bronskis  were  to  take  their  car. 

"  You  are  a  perfect  stranger  to  us,"  declared  Bronski 


88  WORSHIPPERS 

as  he  stared  at  the  poet.  "  Why  do  you  not  come  to 
see  us  ? " 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  will.  My  work  allows  me  next  to  no 
leisure.  I  am  an  intensely  selfish  individual,  believe 
me." 

"  We  shall  certainly  believe  you  if  you  persist  in  stay 
ing  away,"  Katherine  Bronski  told  him  quietly. 

When  Hindman  was  alone  with  the  poet  he  remarked  : 

"  A  man  of  letters  would  not  starve  here." 

"  Ah,  but  they  feed  the  well-fed  ones,"  Raman  laughed. 

"  You  didn't  hear  how  I  showed  Neshon  that  he  knew 
next  to  nothing  of  the  subject  he  was  trying  to  talk 
about.  A  shallow  man.  I  suppose  you  were  busy  on  a 
poem  suggested  by  Mrs.  Nast's  dissertation  on  love." 

"  She  has  the  right  instinct.  I  felt  very  much  like 
an  amateur,  I  assure  you." 

"  Confess  that  the  Goldmans  are  not  as  amusing,  tak 
ing  it  all  in  all." 

"  Suppose  we  dismiss  the  subject,  and  try  to  find 
something  of  interest  to  ourselves." 

"  Eh  ?  "  Hindman  looked  curiously  at  his  companion. 
"That  would  be  too  serious.  Out  of  mood?" 

"  No  ;  tired.     I  am  sorry  I  went." 

"  So  !  Coming  from  you  it  speaks  volumes."  After 
an  interval  he  asked,  "  Why  don't  you  go  to  the  Bron- 
skis  ? " 

"  Eh  ?  Why  ?  I  do  not  know."  Then  gathering  his 
senses  together,  Raman  said,  "  I  am  really  fond  of  isola 
tion.  Then  there  is  my  work." 

"I  forgot." 

The  tone  aroused  the  poet. 

"  I  might  ask  you  why  you  don't  go  often,"  he  said. 

"  You  can.     Shall  I  tell  you  ? " 

There  was  silence. 


WORSHIPPERS  89 

As  he  approached  his  door,  Hindman  made  mention 
of  Walt  Whitman. 

"  An  old  flame  ?  "  Raman  asked. 

"  I  can  go  to  him  when  every  other  maker  of  verse 
tires  me.  He  gets  you  on  new  heights,  and  brings  new 
country  before  your  eyes.  Very  few  men  could  put 
their  ten  fingers  so  upon  things.  Suppose  you  come  in. 
There  is  one  thing  I  want  to  read  to  you — " 

"  Not  to-night,  Hindman.  I  feel  like  dozing  off  right 
here." 

In  his  office  the  doctor  stood  for  some  time  without 
striking  a  light.  He  was  trying  to  piece  together  the 
details  of  the  scene  when  Katherine  Bronski  had  sprung 
to  her  feet.  Raman's  strange  silence  fixed  his  attention. 

He  laughed  loudly. 

"  How  do  they  say  ? — *  From  the  frying  pan — '  Ah, 
my  ideal  fellow — !  " 

He  laughed  again,  softly,  as  his  imagination  amused 
itself  with  possibilities. 


90  WORSHIPPERS 


CHAPTER   VII 

THE  evening  was  cold  and  cheerless  when  at  th& 
end  of  the  following  week  Raman  went  down 
the  street  in  which  the   Bronskis  lived.     He 
was  alone ;   Hindman  had  been   called  away  from  his 
office  to  attend  a  patient.     Only  after  much  deliberation 
had  the  poet  decided  that  to  ignore  the  Bronskis  any 
longer  would  leave  him  without  the  shadow  of  an  excuse. 

It  was  Katherine  who  met  him  at  the  door. 

"  A  surprise  indeed  !  "  she  cried.  "  Are  you  really 
fond  of  doing  the  unexpected  ? "  When  he  was  in  the 
little  front  room  she  pushed  a  chair  towards  him,  and 
then  hastened  to  pick  up  a  book  which  had  fallen  to  the 
floor.  "  I  suppose  you  considered  that  you  were  making 
for  hostility  by  your  inattention.  We  are  a  sensitive 
people,  you  know." 

Her  studied  lightness  of  tone  put  him  entirely  at 
ease. 

"  There  is  no  possibility  of  my  making  many  friends  in 
Philadelphia,"  he  laughed  ;  "  for  they  show  no  inclination 
to  accept  my  excuses  as  valid.  But  no  man  is  so  much 
a  slave  of  his  work  as  myself,  really !  " 

"  Who  had  ever  such  a  master  !  How  often  do  you 
bewail  your  loss  of  liberty  ?  "  She  bent  serious  eyes  upon 
him. 

"  Every  time  I  discover  that  I  am  a  social  animal." 

"  Which  must  be  when  you  leave  your  work.  Ah, 
how  fortunate  is  he  who  can  turn  to  and  from  the  world 


WORSHIPPERS  91 

at  will !  Do  you  not  find  often  that  much  it  does  is 
madness  ? " 

"  Suppose  we  call  it  uninspired  madness." 

"  No  !  No  !  That  is  a  concession  to  Dr.  Hindman  ! 
Why  are  you  so  hard  ?  " 

"  A  concession  to  the  majority  of  men.  Are  we  not 
called  dreamers  ? — in  the  sense  that  we  have  burdened 
our  mental  stomachs  before  going  into  our  trance  ;  which 
is  plainly  synonymous  with  childishness." 

She  laughingly  protested  against  the  fancy. 

"  But  one  thing  is  certain,"  he  said  :  "  that  while  the 
world  can  very  well  get  along  without  me,  the  reverse  is 
hardly  true.  Don't  try  to  prove  the  contrary,"  he  warned, 
"  or  I  shall  believe  you  are  trying  to  flatter  me." 

"  Well,  you  shall  believe  what  you  please ;  but  I  tell 
you  that  the  world  is  not  likely  to  risk  getting  along 
without  you.  I  think  that  it  is  the  result  of  a  bargain. 
You  promise  mankind  to  think  much  of  it ;  and  of  course 
it  rewards  you, — in  its  own  peculiar  way." 

"  Which  all  makes  me  feel  that  this  is  an  age  unlike 
any  other." 

"  Have  I  really  flattered  you  ?     Don't  dare  to  object ! " 

"I  will  thank  you  instead." 

"  Let  me  tell  you  that  there  are  many  who  would 
thank  you  if  they  found  the  chance.  And  it  is  so 
because  many,  like  myself,  are  expecting  friends  out  of 
the  future ;  and  when  one  comes,  they  cry,  <  There,  that 
makes  life  worth  while ! '  Which  no  one  would  dare 
deny." 

"  Least  of  all  the  man  who  is  happy  to  find  all  doors 
open  to  him.  But  the  producer  of  art  is  often  an  odd 
individual  ;  and  so  he  finds  excuse  for  himself  in  the 
plea  that  in  his  continual  association  with  the  beautiful 
the  world  grows  unreal  to  him.  He  alone  is  the  loser." 


92  WORSHIPPERS 

Raman  was  silent  a  moment,  and  then  said  with  a  smile, 
"  We  always  wander  into  serious  subjects.  It  does  not 
seem  to  be  a  hardship,  however." 

"  Perhaps  it's  our  way  of  being  frivolous.  They  always 
say  that  serious  people  usually  find  jest  a  relief.  But  I 
am  such  a  poor  hand  at  laughter  that  at  most  I  would 
only  spoil  your  evening." 

"  How  many  of  us  ever  had  two  hours  of  laughter  in 
succession  ? "  he  leaned  forward  to  ask.  "  That  is, 
laughter  created  by  ourselves." 

The  question  startled  her. 

"  Two  hours  of  laughter  ?  You  mean,  have  /ever  for 
gotten  myself  sufficiently  for  two  hours  ?  — " 

"  Don't  answer  such  an  absurd  question  ! "  he  cried. 
"  I  don't  know  what  prompted  me  to  put  it." 

"  Your  desire  to  know  me,  I  suppose,"  she  said  softly. 
"  Now,  I  can  imagine  you  laughing  for  one  hour ;  but  not 
for  two.  Unless  you  laugh  at  us." 

"  Surely  you  are  not  trying  to  equal  my  absurdity  !  " 
And  then  he  said,  "  I  thought  I  saw  snowflakes  when  I 
was  coming  here.  Do  you  remember  the  fields  in  Rus 
sia  ?  Nothing  could  match  their  autumn  browns.  And 
no  city  dweller  here  can  realize  the  beauty  of  stretches 
of  snow  lying  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach." 

"  No,  nothing  is  as  dreadful  as  the  gloom  of  our  skies 
in  fall.  I  am  not  trying  to  match  your  experiences."  Her 
smile  was  touched  with  sadness.  "  But  I  have  no  pa 
tience  with  the  chill  that  heralds  the  passing  of  summer 
brightness,— a  brightness  that,  true  enough,  is  deadly  to 
work  ;  but  it  drugs  ambition,  so  that  we  are  willing  to  let 
the  days  glide  without  question  and  without  much  ado. 
I  cannot  even  do  any  serious  reading  in  summer.  And 
so  I  appreciate  what  they  call  '  Summer  Fiction.'  Ah, 
the  days  of  sunshine  !  " 


WORSHIPPERS  93 

"  But  the  winter  months  allow  you  serious  books,"  he 
said  cheerfully,  to  rid  her  of  her  mood  which  was  begin 
ning  to  react  upon  him. 

"  That  is  true.  And  then  I  read  even  the  oft-men 
tioned,  rarely-perused  classics  ;  and  it  is  such  a  delight 
to  think  that  they  were  criticisable  in  their  day.  You 
see  how  I  look  on  authority.  I  was  going  over  these 
short  stories."  She  handed  him  the  book.  "  I  wanted 
to  see  whether  the  praise  lavished  on  them  was  in  pro 
portion  to  the  work.  They  are  masterpieces.  Shall  I 
read  you  one  ? " 

"  Let  me  choose  what  I  believe  his  best.  You  shall 
have  your  turn." 

She  was  uneasy  while  he  fingered  the  pages  ;  but  the 
story  he  selected  touched  no  problem  ;  and  she  scolded 
herself  for  expecting  that  it  might. 

She  read  with  nervous  beauty ;  and  when  she  had 
finished,  blushed  like  a  school-girl  at  his  nod  of  satisfac 
tion. 

"  It  must  have  been  hard  work  to  conquer  the  Russian 
in  your  accent,"  he  said. 

"  Work  enough.  But  I  finally  managed  to  drive  the 
Russian  out  of  my  English." 

And  laughing,  she  reached  out  for  Shakespeare. 

"  I  have  come  across  some  nuggets  of  gold  lately  in 
unsuspected  places  that  I  want  to  read  to  you." 

Many  of  the  words  merely  lingered  on  his  ear  as  he 
watched  the  play  of  the  face-muscles  that  adjusted  them 
selves  to  the  text.  He  reflected  : 

"  What  a  peculiar  atmosphere  she  creates  ! — when  it 
seems  normal  to  be  straining  under  great  burdens.  How 
restless  !  It  would  have  meant  much  for  her  if  she  had 
been  a  mother."  He  smiled  at  his  guess. 

Katherine  divined  that  he  had  been  absorbed  in  his 


94  WORSHIPPERS 

own  thoughts  ;  and  she  left  the  book  to  get  his  impres 
sion  of  men  and  women  she  supposed  him  to  know  in 
New  York.  She  was  grateful  for  his  fairness  in  several 
instances. 

"  Do  you  never  see  the  bad  qualities  ? "  she  asked 
with  a  laugh. 

"  Well,  if  I  do,  they  are  so  apparent,  that  I  hasten  to 
seek  out  the  good  ones.  Think  how  easy  it  is  to  re 
member  the  shortcomings ! " 

"  But  think  how  unwise  to  take  no  notice  of  them  ! 
It's  the  only  way  sometimes  we  '  can  see  ourselves  as 
others  see  us.'  " 

The  talk  grew  more  animated  when  the  customary 
tea  intruded. 

"  You  do  not  know  how  happy  I  am  to  hear  the  bell 
ring,"  confessed  Katherine  as  they  faced  each  other 
across  the  table.  "  Surely  you  have  fallen  upon  the  time 
when  one  book  after  another  is  put  aside  as  unsatis 
factory,  when  the  hours  crawl,  and  the  spirit  becomes 
hopelessly  drugged." 

"  A  common  experience.  There  is  nothing  so  destruc 
tive  to  clear-sightedness." 

"  And  is  yours  the  trouble  of  finding  that  you  write, 
write,  and  the  effort  of  getting  words  to  coincide  with 
ideas  reaches  the  point  where  words  mean  nothing 
at  all?  It  is  hardly  fair,  since  your  style  is  so 
smooth." 

"By  which,"  he  laughed,  "  you  mean  that  I  can  care 
fully  conceal  the  effort  it  has  cost  me.  But  you  are 
too  familiar  with  the  process  not  to  have  tried  your  hand 
at  literature." 

"  Oh,  I  made  quite  an  extended  trial." 

"  And  you  stopped  ?  Or  are  you  going  to  surprise 
us?" 


WORSHIPPERS  95 

"  I  am  afraid  not.  I  was  a  victim  of  the  struggle  for 
style." 

"  To  give  in  that  easily  !  " 

"  Well,  that  was  hardly  all.  You  ought  to  know  that 
a  publisher  cannot  let  one  in  as  an  understudy.  And  I 
— am  a  poor  fighter." 

"  Confess  that  you  did  not  really  put  your  heart  into 
the  work." 

"  It  may  have  been  that.  We  can  only  give  ourselves 
to  one  thing  passionately.  Looking  back  now  I  can  see 
what  the  real  trouble  was  with  my  work." 

"  Other  faults  ? " 

"  I  believe  you  are  laughing  at  me." 

"  Certainly  not !  "  he  protested  gently. 

"  Even  if  you  did,  I  could  not  very  well  blame  you- 
My  failure  was  that  I  treated  every  subject  too  emo 
tionally  ;  and  so  when  I  tried  to  square  what  I  had 
written  with  fact,  I  felt  that  I  was  a  fraud." 

Her  laugh  made  him  wretched. 

"You  must  have  been  crueler  than  any  critic  could 
have  been,"  he  said. 

"  Well,  I  tried  to  write  in  cold-blood ;  and  my  Eng 
lish  began  to  halt,  to  drag,  to  doze,  until  I  was  so 
mortified  that  I  gave  up.  I  acquired  some  respect  for 
those  who  had  given  something  to  the  world.  Natu 
rally  I  drifted  to  translating.  But  it  was  a  pity  to  com 
pete  with  starved  college  men  who  might  know  Rus 
sian." 

"  There  is  much  good  Yiddish  fiction,"  he  hastened 
to  say. 

"  Suppose  you  give  me  an  opportunity  of  turning  a 
play  you  might  do  in  that  tongue  into  English.  It 
would  be  interesting ;  and  would  be  a  new  field  for 
you — " 


96  WORSHIPPERS 

"  You  believe  me  a  very  idle  man,"  he  bantered. 

"  I  do  not  want  to  believe  you  a  one-thing-at-a-time 
man,  the  like  of  whom  is  making  this  a  very  dull  world." 

"  But  anything  else  would  decrease  the  value  of  that 
one  thing.  You  do  not  realize  what  three  columns  every 
other  day  means,"  he  said  in  an  injured  tone  that  made 
him  very  human  to  her. 

"  Give  up  the  paper  !  I  see  you  are  horrified.  Well, 
write  only  once  a  week.  You  dare  not  be  a  drudge." 

"  You  forget  that  the  paper  is  just  building  up." 

"  And  that  they  are  using  you  !  " 

"  You  mean  that  I  am  exploiting  my  opportunity." 

They  started  when  the  street  door  was  closed.  David 
Bronski  entered,  and  on  sight  of  the  poet,  the  delight  he 
felt  shone  in  his  worn  face. 

"  I  believe  it  is  only  your  second  time,  Mr.  Raman," 
he  scolded.  "  You  may  be  sure  we  have  often  spoken 
of  your  continued  absence,  since  our  first  evening  was 
so  pleasant,  and  we  had  promised  ourselves  many  like  it. 
If  you  are  desirous  of  avoiding  people,  this  is  just  the 
place  for  you;  at  least  it  seems  so  this  year.  Last 
winter  we  had  crowds  every  night.  But  they  must  have 
found  a  circle  of  friends  a  fine  thing  to  have  around  one's 
table,  and  are  waiting  at  their  own  now."  He  laughed 
as  he  seated  himself.  "  How  do  you  like  winter  ?  Does 
it  not  disturb  you  ?  " 

"Very  little,"  replied  the  visitor. 

"  The  work,"  said  Katherine,  "  should  be  bigger  than 
the  mood." 

"  Of  course,"  said  Raman.  "  You  don't  look  out  of 
the  window  when  you  are  measuring  out  your  drugs, 
Mr.  Bronski." 

"  A  comparison  like  that !  "  laughed  the  head  of  the 
house. 


WORSHIPPERS  97 

"  Why  not  ? " 

Familiar  speech  disposed  of  barriers  satisfactorily. 
Bronski  was  flattered  by  the  frequency  with  which  the 
poet  yielded  to  his  opinion,  and  failed  to  notice  that  most 
of  the  talking  was  being  done  by  himself.  He  was  soon 
upon  a  subject  that  he  was  able  to  deal  with  enthusi 
astically. 

"  You  see,  we  live  our  lives  to  a  certain  extent  isolated, 
but  are  as  happy  as  the  average  man  can  possibly  be. 
Many  of  our  dreams  concern  the  future  ;  which  is  an  in 
centive  to  forgetting  the  annoyances  of  to-day.  I  am 
surprised  that  you  are  willing  to  live  your  life  alone, 
Mr.  Raman.  I  would  not  say  it  if  I  considered  you  a 
self-satisfied  man  who  believes  that  to  take  a  companion 
for  life  is  to  make  unendurable  concessions. — " 

"  Now  you  are  getting  on  Mrs.  Nast's  favorite  topic !  " 
Katherine  cried  with  an  uneasy  laugh. 

"  There !  That  is  an  example  for  you  !  What  an  ideal 
household  is  that  of  the  Nasts ! "  Bronski  continued, 
undeterred.  "  It  means  a  sharing  of  joys,  and  a  divid 
ing  of  griefs  and  of  burdens.  Look  at  our  friend  Dr. 
Hindman.  A  good  woman  would  have  filled  his  life  with 
purpose,  would  have  helped  him  forget  his  failings,  would 
have  turned  his  ability  to  account.  As  it  is,  he  lives  a 
selfish  life,  without  purpose,  of  no  use  to  himself. — " 

"  Don't !  "  pleaded  his  wife. 

The  poet  said  hastily  : 

"  Hindman  is  a  man  apart.  The  woman  he  would 
mate  with  would  either  be  master,  or  have  no  rights  at 
all,  except  those  his  whims  would  allow  her.  Don't  try 
to  solve  his  problem  in  the  way  you  would  any  ordinary 
man's.  I  can  imagine  how  a  young,  impressionable  girl 
might  be  shaken  by  his  bigness. — "  He  caught  an  ex 
change  of  glances  between  the  Bronskis,  and  paused. 


98  WORSHIPPERS 

Mr.  Bronski  hastened  to  say,  "  You  know  much  of 
the  accidents  of  human  nature." 

"  And  the  girl — "  inquired  Raman,  frowning. 

"  Oh,  it  all  ended  all  right,"  Bronski  said. 

"  She  was  a  pretty  piece  of  femininity,  but  absolutely 
devoid  of  sense,"  Mrs.  Bronski  related.  "  Her  parents, 
when  they  got  wind  of  the  infatuation,  were  not  at  all  dis 
pleased  ;  in  fact  they  were  flattered.  But  people  who 
knew  Hindman  spoke  to  them  plainly.  It  would  have 
been  useless  to  talk  to  the  girl.  She  is  reconciled  now. 
To  give  Hindman  credit,  I  will  say  he  acted  sensibly. 
Perhaps  he  wants  to  live  his  life  as  befits  a  man  who  has 
nothing  in  common  with  his  fellows." 

"  There  was  something  very  interesting  that  you  left 
out,  dear,"  Bronski  said. 

"  You  mean  about  the  girl  coming  to  me  ? — Oh,  don't 
let  us  discuss  that  matter  any  further.  It  was  a  sorry 
business." 

Raman  was  certain  that  he  could  well  have  been  spared 
the  story.  It  was  too  painful  to  have  the  woman  detail 
ing  such  topics. 

The  rest  of  the  evening  passed  more  smoothly ;  and  at 
a  late  hour  Raman  bade  them  good-night.  In  the  privacy 
of  his  room  he  loudly  promised  himself  that  he  would 
use  every  means  to  avoid  that  house.  The  resolution 
seemed  to  him  of  some  importance  next  morning  when 
he  found  that  he  could  not  pick  up  the  threads  of  his 
work  easily. 

On  the  visitor's  departure  Bronski  had  said  : 
"  How  open  and  sincere  !     You  can  almost  read  his 
thoughts.     I  love  him.     I  forgot  to  ask  at  dinner,  dear, 
what  you  will  get  at  the  Literary  Society." 

"  Ten  dollars  !  "  she  cried  in  disgust.     "  I  was  right 


WORSHIPPERS  99 

in  refusing  to  recite  for  nothing.  You  should  have  seen 
how  they  haggled  over  that  paltry  sum  when  other  talent 
is  being  paid  liberally.  Oh,  I  am  sick  of  them  all ! 
Everything  is  a  question  of  dollars  !  dollars  !  The  Jew 
merely  pretends  he  likes  big  things.  His  wisdom  is  a 
cheat !  He  is  the  biggest  poser  on  earth  !  Bah  ! " 

"  As  long  as  it  makes  them  happy  why  ask  them  to 
be  otherwise  ?  " — an  argument  which  Katherine  did  not 
attempt  to  meet.  After  a  great  yawn,  Bronski  said, 
"  Time  for  bed,  dear." 

"  I  will  be  up  in  a  minute.  There  are  a  few  pages  of 
a  book  I  want  to  finish." 

"  Well,  don't  drink  any  more  tea.     It  is  hurting  you." 

She  tried  to  conceal  her  annoyance  when  he  stood 
looking  down  at  her  dotingly,  and  almost  beat  her  foot 
with  impatience.  At  last  he  left  the  room,  and  she  sat 
buried  in  thought,  her  hands  clasped  before  her,  and  her 
head  on  her  arm. 

"  The  punishment  is  heavy  upon  me.  Ah,  why  did  I 
do  it  ?  Why  did  I  do  it  ?  "  she  moaned.  "  Those  fear 
ful  years  !  They  give  me  no  rest.  They  brand  me  ! 
And  people  are  staying  away  because  they  see  I  have 
little  heart  for  anything." 

Trifles  came  back  to  add  to  the  pain.  She  remem 
bered  Hindman's  glance  full  of  mockery  when  she  had 
called  him  a  materialist.  It  no  longer  counted  to  strike 
brave  attitudes.  Was  it  not  better  to  let  the  years  drift 
without  this  self-torture  ?  She  must  learn  to  smile.  So 
would  the  poet  counsel.  But  could  he  be  fair  to  her  ? 
Why  did  he  hesitate  to  visit  them  ? 

She  began  to  look  upon  Raman's  stay  in  Philadelphia 
as  an  evil.  The  reflection  that  followed  left  her  no 
peace  :  "  Hindman  has  told  him  everything,  even  if  he 
did  not  ask  for  the  details ;  and  has  told  all  with  pleas- 


100  WORSHIPPERS 

ure,  for  he  does  not  like  me."  She  fairly  writhed  as  she 
pictured  Raman  listening  to  the  story.  "  No  !  He  must 
not  be  asked  to  call  here  again  !  I  will  be  cold,  distant ! 
God,  what  a  life  !  what  a  life  !  " 

A  man's  features  suddenly  intruded. 

"  My  whole  life  has  been  absurd.  A  politician  !  What 
did  I  see  in  him  ?  A  girl's  fancy  !  Ah,  it  seems  so  long 
ago  ! " 

Slowly  she  got  to  her  feet,  and  reached  out  for  the 
tap  of  the  gas  jet.  The  next  moment  she  almost  flew 
up  the  stairs  as  a  daring  thought  shot  through  her  brain  ; 
and  she  reached  the  top  trembling  like  a  leaf. 

Then  she  whispered,  "  No  !  No !  It  will  never  do  ! " 


WORSHIPPERS  101 


CHAPTER  VIII 

MRS.  Bronski  a  week  later  opened  the  door  for 
Miss  Rovno  whom  she  greeted  warmly,  though 
asking  herself  what  the  reason  for  the  visit 
might  be. 

"  This  was  an  idle  day,"  the  girl  hastened  to  explain, 
"  and  I  thought  that  I  could  find  you  at  home  despite 
the  sunshine  outside.  I  am  fortunate." 

Katherine  decided,  "  She  is  concealing  something.  A 
poor  actor.  What  can  it  be  ?  A  loan  ?  She  would  not 
approach  me  in  this  way.  But  to  come  here  when  I  am 
sure  she  dislikes  me  !  " 

She  made  the  girl  feel  at  home.  Cosy  cushions  were 
inviting  in  the  little  sitting  room  which  was  unusually 
attractive  after  the  visitor's  own  bleak,  cold  bedroom. 
But  her  dislike  for  the  woman  opposite  her  marred  her 
pleasure  in  the  surroundings. 

She -looked  at  the  book  lying  face  downward  on  the 
table,  and  spoke  her  regret  at  having  interrupted  the 
reading. 

"  You  are  surely  more  welcome,"  said  Katherine. 
"  And  I  am  sure  you  will  please  more.  I  had  decided 
to  stay  in  and  take  the  bright  afternoon  from  my  win 
dow." 

She  studied  the  pretty  face  and  its  lustrous  eyes,  and 
wondered  what  the  life  of  the  girl  might  be  ;  but  was  too 
impatient  with  questions  dealing  with  material  wants  to 
pry  into  it. 


102  WORSHIPPERS 

Her  own  girlhood  came  back  to  her,  with  its  strange 
curiosity  and  odd  bewilderment ;  and  she  suddenly 
warmed  towards  the  growing  thing  that  was  gazing  earn 
estly  at  her. 

"  You  allow  yourself  to  feel  homesick  ? "  she  asked 
with  a  smile. 

"  I  try  not  to  be  so.  Like  many  other  things,  I  must 
put  that  out  of  my  thoughts,  else  it  would  only  bring  me 
misery." 

"You  fight,  eh?"  Katherine  cried  with  heightened  in 
terest. 

"  Would  you  call  it  that  ?  I  simply  try  not  to  re 
member.  I  reason  that  it  is  a  small  thing  in  comparison 
with  other  things.  And  yet  I  find  more  and  more  that 
it  is  the  small  things  that  give  us  the  most  annoyance." 

"  Yes,  at  your  age." 

"  Then  I  shall  outgrow  it  ?  Still,  I  can  even  now  turn 
from  these  trifles  by  thinking  of  what  real  suffering  there 
is  in  the  world." 

"  It  is  well.  You  will  grow  strong.  There  is  noth 
ing  like  being  able  to  master  one's  self.  In  the  end  it  is 
everything." 

"  You  think  so  ?     But  does  it  not  leave  one  very  tired  ? " 

"Well,"  said  Katherine  with  a  smile,  "we  have  got  to 
forget  that  also."  She  was  astonished  to  find  what  the 
years  had  brought  to  the  budding  woman.  "  But  you  do 
wrong  to  worry  so  early,"  she  warned.  "  Very  soon  you 
will  learn  its  harm.  You  must  find  more  reason  for 
smiling,  and  less  for  these  useless  frowns.  Surely  you 
see  that  they  are  really  useless  !  The  world  very  quickly 
wears  out  one  who  beats  her  head  against  it.  It  is  a 
terrible  death,  too.  Don't  imagine  it  is  anything  else  !  " 

The  solicitude  was  almost  motherly ;  but  it  seemed 
that  the  girl  had  nothing  to  confide. 


WORSHIPPERS  103 

"  I  realize  that  I  must  smile,  as  you  say.  But  would 
not  Mr.  Raman  tell  us  that  it  is  best  to  know  ourselves  ? 
We  do,  sooner  or  later." 

"Yes,  sooner  or  later,"  repeated  Katherine  ;  and  the 
visitor  passed  out  of  her  view  for  a  few  moments.  Then 
she  remembered  that  she  was  repeating  the  words  of  the 
girl,  and  looked  at  her  with  renewed  interest.  "  Perhaps 
it  is  wiser  that  the  knowledge  come  sooner." 

"  You  see  I  am  right,  even  with  my  limited  experi 
ence,"  the  girl  nodded,  almost  brightly ;  and  then 
sighed. 

"  You  can  go  back  to  your  people  and  find  happiness. 
Why  do  you  not  do  so  ?"  Katherine  asked. 

"It  would  seem  as  if  I  had  run  away  from  a  few 
trials.  When  the  revolution  comes,  I  shall  return.  Until 
then  I  shall  try  to  adapt  myself  to  things  here.  As  Mr. 
Raman  says,  one  finds  burdens  to  be  lifted  from  tired 
backs  everywhere.  For  one  thing,  I  shall  join  the  So 
cialist  movement,  since  that  means  lots  of  work." 

Twice  had  she  used  Raman's  name,  and  after  the  sec 
ond  time  the  woman  opposite  her  was  on  her  guard, 
although  she  reflected,  "  It  may  be  that  the  girl  wants 
to  discuss  him  with  some  disinterested  person.  Let  us 
see."  And  Katherine  said,  "  You  spoke  of  Mr.  Raman. 
Do  you  follow  his  work  in  the  newspapers  ?" 

"  Certainly  !  "  cried  the  girl  with  enthusiasm.  "  No 
one  else  says  such  wonderful  things.  It  brightens  my  life 
to  follow  him  from  line  to  line.  He  is  both  prophet  and 
poet." 

"  Yes,  a  wonderful  man ;  so  much  so  that  he  is  a 
stranger  to  most  of  us.  He  prefers  to  keep  out  of  the 
crowd,  too." 

"And  yet  he  knows  us  better  than  we  know  our 
selves,"  the  girl  argued. 


104  WORSHIPPERS 

Katharine  put  to  herself  the  sad  query,  "  Better  than 
we  know  ourselves  ? "  Aloud  she  said,  "He  may  be 
very  human,  but  I  doubt  if  he  understands  our  sex. 
That  taxes  both  prophet  and  poet." 

"  You  think  so  ?  I  suppose  he  goes  about  very 
little." 

"  Very  little.  He  came  here  to  get  quiet.  People 
have  made  him  tired  of  admiration  and  applause.  He 
has  been  here  only  twice." 

"  It  would  be  wrong  to  ask  him  to  sacrifice  his  dream- 
moments  for  our  pleasure,"  said  the  girl. 

The  remark  irritated  Mrs.  Bronski  strangely.  She 
said  with  hauteur : 

"  A  quiet  chat  rests  him.  Cannot  one  be  satiated  with 
work  ? "  After  a  pause  she  added  :  "He  is  a  different 
person  when  he  is  light-hearted.  Yes,  he  is  very  human 
then." 

The  girl  looked  at  her  with  searching  eyes.  Kath- 
erine  thought,  "  Ah,  that  disturbs  you  !  You  thing  of  a 
dozen  and  a  half  years,  are  you  trying  to  read  me  ? " 
And  she  languidly  gazed  out  of  the  window,  conscious 
that  she  was  puzzling  the  visitor. 

"  His  must  really  be  a  happy  nature,  despite  all  he  has 
borne,"  said  the  girl. 

"  It  is  for  that  reason  that  as  a  friend  he  can  be  a 
great  gift.  I  knew  several  approaching  this  man's  worth 
in  New  York.  But  here  there  are  a  whole  nest  of  fail 
ures  who  add  nothing  to  the  happiness  of  others." 

"  You  cannot  blame  them  because  they  wanted  much. 
Is  to  want  nothing  best  ?  "  the  girl  asked,  much  pained. 

"  The  absurd  fact  is  that  to  be  moderate  is  wisest." 

The  girl  did  not  speak  for  a  little  while  as  if  to  heigh 
ten  the  effect  of  her  words,  and  then  said : 

"  I  heard  Mr.  Raman  was  married." 


WORSHIPPERS  105 

It  was  like  a  shock  to  the  other  woman  who  grew 
rigid,  and  repeated  harshly: 

"  Married  ! " 

"  Yes ;  I  believe  so." 

"  Who  told  you  ? "  Katherine  found  that  she  was  un 
able  to  speak  calmly. 

"  Why,  was  it  not  his  wife  who  went  mad  ? 

"  Oh  ! "  came  with  poorly  suppressed  relief  :  "  You 
mean  Paratzin ! " 

"  Was  it  ?  "  cried  the  girl  innocently. 

"  Did  you  not  hear  that  the  woman  cut  the  man  badly 
with  a  knife?" 

"  Yes,  that  was  it !  Paratzin  is  a  poet,  you  know,"  came 
lamely. 

"  I  thought  you  were  wrong.  How  absurd  the  idea ! 
I  have  often  heard  of  Raman  ;  but  never  was  any  woman's 
name  coupled  with  his." 

"  I  don't  know  how  I  happened  to  make  the  mistake 
and  get  them  mixed  that  way,"  said  the  visitor  with  fine 
indifference.  "  Poor  Paratzin  ! " 

Katherine' s  smile  covered  fury. 

"You  see,"  she  said,  "we  think  that  a  man  of  his 
kind  could  do  no  wrong ;  and  to  be  separated  from  his 
wife—!" 

She  sought  some  way  of  giving  pain  to  the  girl,  and 
finally  cried,  "  Why  not  ?  "  So  that  the  talk  which  had 
turned  from  Raman  renewed  itself  about  his  name  ;  and 
the  woman  made  much  of  the  amiability  he  had  displayed 
on  his  last  visit. 

"  You  would  think,"  she  said,  "  that  we  had  been 
friends  for  years.  It  was  beautiful."  Inwardly  she  was 
crying,  "  You  little  viper  !  To  have  been  caught  like 
that ! "  And  she  proceeded  to  add  to  the  distress  that 
revealed  itself  plainly  in  the  girl's  face,  although  she  was 


106  WORSHIPPERS 

herself  far  from  happy  with  the  indignity  of  the  role 
thrust  upon  her. 

Raman  continued  to  be  the  topic  of  conversation  for 
the  next  hour,  Katherine's  tongue  flying  fast,  while  the 
girl's  silence  increased. 

Finally  Miss  Rovno  rose  to  go  as  the  disappearing 
rays  told  of  a  spent  afternoon.  She  shivered  a  little. 

"The  room  is  cold,"  said  Katherine.  "I  almost 
forgot  it  was  November.  You  enjoyed  the  chat  ? "  Her 
smile  disarmed  the  girl. 

"  Very,  very  much.  You  were  part  of  the  sunshine 
to-day." 

"  Come  in  often.  You  can  find  me  at  home  as  a 
rule." 

She  was  composed  when  she  kissed  the  girl,  and 
laughingly  asked  pardon  for  having  forgotten  the  tea. 

When  alone  she  stood  for  a  little  while  leaning  against 
a  chair,  somewhat  abashed.  Weariness  had  destroyed 
her  anger. 

"  But  how  could  she  have  expected  it  to  serve  her  ? 
It  will  simply  increase  her  pain  now.  What  can  she 
make  of  the  scene  ?  Who  could  have  believed  her 
capable  of  that  trick  ?  At  her  years  I  lacked  her  quick 
ness.  Or  I  should  never  have  attempted  such  a  thing 
without  quaking  ;  and  she  was  as  cold  as  ice." 

Miss  Rovno,  unable  to  gain  any  peace,  alternated 
between  rage  and  tears  as  she  took  her  way  home, — a 
name  she  applied  to  a  little  room  that  would  have  been 
bare  but  for  numerous  photographs,  and  a  small  shelf 
filled  with  books  which  hung  over  a  small  bed. 

She  sat  down  without  removing  her  coat,  and  cried  until 
a  measure  of  strength  came  back.  Then  she  stared  out 
of  the  window  which  looked- clown  upon  the  Italian  quarter 


WORSHIPPERS  107 

where  washlines  full  of  colored  clothes  were  faintly 
visible  in  the  last  of  the  afterglow,  and  the  herded 
population  filled  the  streets  with  hideous  old  women, 
dirty  youngsters,  and  lolling  men. 

She  sighed  with  pity  for  this  people  struggling  under 
an  alien  sky  far  from  that  wonderful  sunny  land,  and 
felt  the  kinship  of  exile. 

Her  own  home  came  back  to  her,  certain  to  be  in  the 
grip  of  winter ;  and  she  saw  the  long  lanes  that  climbed 
white  hills  and  fell  into  the  whitest  of  hollows  where 
snow  glistened  and  crackled ;  and  the  blue  sky  seemed 
to  reecho  loudly  the  shouts  of  sleigh-drivers  and  the  call 
of  boys  in  play ;  and  faces  of  dear  ones  loomed  clear  in 
the  dark  room. 

She  moaned,  "  I  must  go  to  them !  I  must  go  to 
them  !  There  is  nothing  here  !  " 

And  then  her  thoughts  turned  to  Raman  and  Mrs. 
Bronski,  and  the  girl  cried,  "  What  a  foul  thing  to  throw 
one's  self  away  on  an  old  man  !  Their  relations  must 
surely  disgust  the  poet.  But  he  will  only  pity,  not  seeing 
that  she  does  not  deserve  pity.  And  she  is  respected  !  " 

Soon  impatient  anger  denied  that  Raman  might  be 
actuated  by  honest  motives  in  visiting  the  Bronskis. 
"  Can  he  be  growing  weak  under  the  spell  cast  by  the 
woman  ?  Is  he  honest  in  the  matter  ?  Is  it  one  thing 
for  him  to  preach,  and  another  to  act  ? " 

Her  doubts  led  her  to  confess,  "  I  don't  know  them 
here.  At  home  they  are  simpler ;  they  say  what  they 
think.  Oh,  my  friends  !  " 

And  once  more  she  was  the  pure-minded  girl,  eager  to 
meet  the  world  on  a  basis  of  kind  thought  and  trust.  She 
went  to  the  photographs  and  kissed  the  serious  faces,— 
young  faces  with  old  eyes. 

At  the  foot  of  the  stairs  she  was  informed  by  the  lady 


108  WORSHIPPERS 

who  managed  the  lodging  house  that  a  certain  physician 
had  called  to  see  her.  "  He  wants  you  to  make  massage 
for  a  patient,"  the  woman  said  in  English,  with  educa 
tional  intent. 

The  girl  answered  listlessly. 

"  You  know  rent  will  be  due  next  week/'  growled  the 
woman,  this  time  in  Yiddish.  She  had  little  patience 
with  the  average  lodger  who  was  uniform  in  delaying  pay 
ment. 

"  I  have  the  money,"  came  without  resentment ;  and 
the  girl  went  out  for  her  evening  meal. 


WORSHIPPERS  109 


CHAPTER  IX 

"  ~TT  KEEP  track  of  your  musical  events  if  you  do 

I     not,"  Raman  said  as  he  playfully  covered  with  his 

-•-   hat  the  book  over  which  Hindman  had  been  dozing. 

"  What  is  it  ?  the  Orchestra  ?  I  am  going  to  sleep  ; 
have  been  up  two  nights  in  succession."  And  the  speaker 
yawned  until  the  tears  came. 

"Then  sleep  you  must." 

"What  is  the  music?" 

"  I  won't  tempt  you,"  laughed  the  poet,  taking  up  his 
hat. 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  going  off  to  sleep  at  once.  Sit  down." 
And  the  doctor  pushed  a  chair  towards  him.  "  You 
have  some  time,  unless  the  soloist  is  an  exceptional  one. 
What  is  the  music  ?" 

"  Tschaikowsky's  Symphonic  Pathetique." 

"  Yes  ? "  Hindman  sat  up  and  consulted  his  watch. 
"  Who  is  the  soloist  ? " 

."  Some  young  pianist  I  never  heard  of." 

"  Then  there  won't  be  a  crowd.  We  can  go  at  the 
last  moment." 

"  Nonsense  !  You  ought  to  have  your  sleep,"  urged 
Raman. 

"  I  won't  disgrace  you  by  taking  it  in  public.  I  have 
dozed  off  while  a  Beethoven  Symphony  was  in  progress  ; 
I  ought  not  to  have  done  it,  but  that  time  I  had  to  sleep, 
and  the  rhythm  did  the  work."  Which  was  so  suggestive 
of  the  comfort  of  a  yawn  that  the  doctor  entered  into  its 
execution  with  flourishes  of  the  arms  and  a  twisting  of 


110  WORSHIPPERS 

the  neck,  giving  a  loud,  "  Huh  !  "  as  climax.  Composing 
himself  he  asked,  "  Well,  where  have  you  been  ?  What 
have  you  been  doing  ?" 

•'  Working,  reading,  idling  :  in  about  equal  proportions. 
Fortunately,  the  demand  for  a  three  column  article  every 
other  day  has  allowed  me  to  do  the  idling  without  any 
pangs  of  conscience." 

"  Your  prose,"  Hindman  pronounced,  "  is  sane  enough, 
although  you  always  manage  to  discover  that  the  uni 
verse  was  set  going  to  lead  up  to  your  theories.  A 
plunge  into  your  poetry  is  a  trial." 

"  I  would  really  feel  bad,"  replied  Raman  with  a  smile, 
"  if  I  did  not  know  that  it  is  becoming  a  trial  with  you 
to  read  any  poetry.  But  where  do  you  find  the  fault  in 
my  humble  lines  ? " 

"  They  seem  forced." 

"  Remember,  we  have  to  turn  thought  partly  into 
music." 

"  Thought,  eh  ? "  said  Hindman  with  another  yawn. 

"  I  never  nibble  my  pen  for  a  subject.  Many  com 
plain  because  the  lines  are  overpacked ;  honest  critics, 
that  is." 

"  Explained  emotions  strung  together  like  beads  about 
a  child's  neck,  I  would  say." 

"  Don't  forget  you  are  very  sleepy,"  laughed  Raman. 

"  Do  you  know  who  stopped  me  to  ask  where  she 
could  get  your  poems  ? "  the  doctor  grinned. 

"  Not  a  very  discerning  person  if  it's  so  much  of  a 
joke  to  you.  I  am  curious,"  said  the  poet. 

"  Somewhat  of  a  joke,  believe  me :  Mrs.  Goldman. 
Those  that  she  read  she  speaks  of  in  the  same  breath 
with  Goethe's,  Heine's,  Shakespeare's.  When  the  bour 
geoisie  take  you  up,  Raman,  you  will  be  wearing  a  silk 
hat." 


WORSHIPPERS  111 

"  What  a  delightful  moment  it  will  be  for  my  friends  !  " 
the  poet  said  quietly.  "  Perhaps  then  even  my  enemies 
will  forgive  me." 

"Come,  don't  get  bitter.  You  certainly  don't  look 
it." 

"  I  am  not.  As  a  friend  you  are  bound  to  say  what 
should  prove  of  value  to  me.  You  will  have  to  let  it  be 
its  own  reward.  That  requires  courage." 

Hindman  suddenly  leaned  forward  and  asked  : 
"  You  think  I  have  gained  nothing  these  years  ?  " 
"  Apparently  anew  standpoint.  We  will  call  it  that." 
"  I  don't  know  whether  you  are  trying  to  be  kind ; 
but  a  new  standpoint  it  is.  Ah,  I  was  full  of  blind  am 
bition — the  sort  that  uses  a  man  rather  than  is  used  by 
him.  I  wanted  to  ride  over  all  obstacles.  What  was  too 
big  for  me  ?  Dreams  !  Why,  I  was  to  lead  the  proletaire 
in  the  overthrow  of  the  system  !  I  was  to  be  the  hero  ! — 
Another  Napoleon,  but  one  who  would  build  a  new  world 
in  which  mankind  was  to  be  happy.  Dreams !  Did 
ever  boy  do  as  well  ? "  Hindman  laughed.  He  found 
the  other's  face  averted.  "  Well,  I  saw  the  necessity  of 
making  myself  master  of  thought.  I  would  go  to  books, 
and  round  myself  out  completely,  so  that  complete  con 
fidence  would  not  be  lacking.  I  did  go  to  them.  I 
found  that  here  I  could  not  be  master  at  all ;  in  fact, 
was  more  like  a  child.  The  pages  seemed  to  laugh  at 
me.  New  worlds  mocked  my  pigmy  efforts.  In  a  rash 
moment  I  decided  to  give  myself  to  medicine.  It  was 
absurd,  absurd !  I  was  unconsciously  throwing  up  the 
whole  fight.  I  came  to  this  city,  and  everything  slipped 
out  of  my  hands.  It  is  true  my  books  got  a  greater 
hold  on  me  ;  but  they  did  not  give  me  courage.  I  could 
split  hairs  ;  but  I  could  no  longer  fight.  They  say  I  am 
more  of  a  logician  now."  He  was  silent.  Then  he 


112  WORSHIPPERS 

laughed  to  hide  his  embarrassment  at  the  way  he  had 
unbosomed  himself. 

"  I  suppose  you  will  acknowledge  that  you  did  not  go 
in  the  right  way  to  your  books,"  said  Raman  in  a  low 
voice. 

"  Well,  you  see  I  accept  my  task  as  a  physician." 

"  You  do  not,"  came  bluntly.  "  Hindman,  go  back 
to  New  York.  There  are  still  the  same  problems, 
the  same  need  of  leadership,  the  same  need  of  honest 
men — " 

"  And  you  believe,"  the  doctor  interrupted  almost 
sternly,  "  that  here  " — striking  his  breast — "  are  not 
problems  that  demand  leadership,  honesty  ? — But  let  us 
go — to  the  music.  The  walk  will  bring  us  in  time." 

"  You  think  you  have  turned  the  tables  ?  "  cried  the 
poet,  irritated  by  what  seemed  a  dishonest  evasion.  "  Ah, 
Hindman,  it  will  never  do  !  " 

"  Ah,  you  mean  I  am  bluffing.  Perhaps  I  had  to  in 
order  to  achieve  a  decent  retreat."  As  he  was  slipping 
his  overcoat  on  he  said,  "  We  should  meet  several  of  our 
friends  there.  You  can  understand  what  music  means 
to  them  after  our  experience  at  the  Nasts.  '  We  Rus 
sians  feel  altogether  too  much  ! '  '  he  mimicked  with 
strange  bitterness. 

The  scene  recurred  vividly  to  Raman  who  could  not 
contain  his  laughter ;  and  then  was  so  heartily  ashamed 
that  he  turned  away  his  head. 

Hindman  hummed  as  they  sauntered  up  the  street, 
puzzling  his  companion,  who  suddenly  asked  ; 

"  What  is  your  conception  of  right  and  wrong  ?  " 

"  You  don't  want  a  display  of  my  knowledge  of  schools 
of  ethics,  I  suppose." 

Raman  waved  his  hand  impatiently. 

"  All  right,  then  ;  I'll  be  honest  with  you,"  announced 


WORSHIPPERS  113 

the  doctor.  "  The  system  isn't  a  new  one,  although  it 
is  an  improvement  on  Adam's.  I  try  to  get  all  I  can 
without  making  myself  very  disagreeable  ;  I  don't  try  to 
obtain  what  I  can't  get ;  and  I  am  pretty  temperate. 
Extremes  annoy  me  as  a  rule.  Is  it  a  mixture  ?  " 

"  You  bring  everything  down  to  a  physical  basis." 

"  A  physician's  experience  don't  often  swing  him  into 
the  spiritual." 

And  Hindman  resumed  his  humming. 

They  arrived  in  time  to  find  the  seat-holders  in  the 
family  circle  drifting  into  one  of  the  side  doors  of  the 
low-browed  Academy  of  Music. 

"  A  poor  house,"  said  Hindman  after  their  climb 
brought  them  breathless  to  the  tiers  of  seats.  Both  men 
bowed  to  Katherine  Bronski  and  Robinson  who  were  at 
a  little  distance.  The  doctor  looked  away  from  them  as 
he  said,  "  She  must  be  out  of  mood  to  come  here.  Or 
perhaps  Robinson  persuaded  her." 

"  Doesn't  she  really  care  for  music  ?  "  asked  the  poet. 

"  Yes,  for  airs  that  stick  to  one  like  burrs." 

It  puzzled  Raman  sorely. 

Robinson  came  over  ;  and  after  chatting  a  little,  sug 
gested  that  the  two  men  slip  over  the  intervening  empty 
seats.  The  poet  assented  with  alacrity,  much  to  Hind- 
man's  amusement. 

Trifles  bordered  the  talk  between  Raman  and  the 
woman  until  the  members  of  the  orchestra  began  to  file 
in.  The  fame  of  the  organization — the  product  of  a 
distant  musical  city — was  sufficient  to  bring  a  spell  of 
silence.  Raman  roused  himself  by  saying  to  Katherine  : 

"  That  short  fellow  with  the  curly  black  hair  going  to 
the  second  row  of  '  seconds  '  is  quite  a  violinist,  but  just 
lacks  the  tone  to  carry  him  into  the  '  firsts.'  A  pity  : 
Derbowitz  was  so  eager  to  fiddle  '  first.'  It  will  repay 


114  WORSHIPPERS 

you  to  watch  him  at  work  with  his  music-box.     Deep- 
feeling,  subtle-nerved,  he  is  a  rare  soul." 

The  house  was  hushed  with  expectancy  as  the  conduc 
tor  lifted  his  arm  ;  and  the  first  number  of  the  programme 
was  under  way.  Hindman  listened  absently  to  the  music 
that  lightly  colored  his  thoughts.  He  was  waiting  for 
the  Tchaikowsky  Symphony. 

To  the  woman,  the  figure  of  Derbowitz  rocking  back 
and  forth  in  the  roar  of  melody  was  fascinating.  All  the 
music  seemed  to  pour  itself  out  of  that  frail  wood.  Soon 
she  lost  sight  of  the  other  performers ;  the  flying  bow 
alone  was  left,  with  drum  taps  and  trumpet  blares  in  ac 
companiment. 

She  thrilled.  The  themes  spoke  curious  things  to  her, 
in  a  language  that  gave  wild  rein  to  the  imagination  ; 
and  she  leaned  forward,  her  eyes  shining,  her  lips  apart, 
and  her  brow  wet  with  perspiration. 

When  silence  came,  she  turned  to  Raman,  who, 
startled  by  the  display  of  emotion,  wondered  at  Hind- 
man's  ignorance  of  the  woman's  inner  life. 

"  Write  a  poem  on  that  '  second  violin,' "  she  whis 
pered  eagerly.  "  See  the  possibilities." 

"  The  second  violin  ?  Oh  !  But  when  we  elimi 
nate  the  desire  to  moralize,  what  is  left  ? "  Raman 
asked. 

"  Bespeak  the  ambition,  the  yearning,  and  the  illusion 
that  he  is  producing  the  wonderful  harmonies.  Why 
preach  ?  Don't  you  see  what  I  mean  ? " 

The  soloist  of  the  evening  made  his  appearance. 
Scales,  arpeggios,  and  chords  crashed  and  mingled  as  the 
hurrying  fingers  found  the  keys.  Hindman  yawned. 
Katherine  sat  back  listlessly.  When  it  was  over  she  re 
marked,  "  I  always  considered  it  a  cold  instrument  for 
concert." 


WORSHIPPERS  115 

"  That  is  because  the  artist  has  as  much  soul  as  an 
accordion,"  said  Robinson. 

"A  clerk  lost  to  the  world,"  growled  Hindman. 
"  There  is  nothing  to  him  except  his  hair ;  and  the  ap 
plause  comes  mostly  from  the  old  ladies." 

After  an  interval  Tchaikowsky's  Symphony  in  B  minor 
was  begun. 

The  doctor  sat  as  if  in  a  stupor  during  the  first  move 
ment.  When  the  poet  turned  to  him  at  its  conclusion, 
he  found  him  pale,  and  halted  the  thoughts  which  almost 
demanded  expression.  Hindman  smiled  a  little  as  if 
amused  at  the  allegro  part ;  but  shifted  in  his  seat,  much 
to  the  poet's  annoyance,  when  the  third  movement  was 
under  way.  As  the  grief  of  the  finale  closed  in  death  he 
cracked  the  joints  of  his  fingers  nervously,  and  then 
shrugged  his  shoulders. 

The  others  found  him  sulky  and  silent  when  he  fol 
lowed  them  out.  He  listened  to  their  talk  as  if  they 
were  strangers.  And  some  women  who  jostled  against 
him  on  the  stairs,  shrank  away  under  the  look  of  contempt 
and  hatred  he  cast  at  them. 

Katherine  still  urged  the  writing  of  the  poem  she  had 
suggested  to  Raman,  who  saw  no  reason  why  she  should 
not  try  it  herself.  "  You  are  so  touched  by  the  thought 
that  you  would  make  much  of  it,"  he  assured  her.  "  I 
still  only  see  the  moralizing  end.  You  feel  something 
more  than  that.  Let  us  hear  what  the  doctor  has  to 
say." 

Hindman  cried  impatiently : 

"  What  reason  can  there  be  for  glorifying  a  mere  ac 
companist  ?  The  case  is  too  common  ;  like  the  case  of 
the  moral  leader  who  tells  the  drudge  that  patience 
added  to  imagination  is  a  virtue.  Is  there  not  enough 
tribute  paid  to  the  man  who  can  only  do  a  little,  who 


116  WORSHIPPERS 

can  only  fiddle  '  second '  ?  Bah  !  The  giant-statured 
alone  are  worth  anything  approaching  admiration." 

"Always?"  asked  Raman. 

"  I  will  admit  that  in  the  end — "  began  the  doctor, 
and  paused. 

Robinson  asked,  "  Where  precisely  is  the  end  ? " 

"  How  dare  you  people,"  cried  Mrs.  Bronski,  "  find 
gloom  after  such  music  !  Put  your  shoulders  back,  and 
thank  Mother  Nature  that  you  are  alive !  See  what  a 
beautiful  night !  Forget,  forget  everything  else,  except 
that  you  have  the  capacity  for  joy !  " 

"  I  am  glad  you  stumbled  upon  the  fact,"  growled  the 
doctor  ;  and  he  continued  to  berate  the  "average "  man 
who  had  suddenly  grown  intolerable  to  him. 

Raman  came  forward  in  defence.  They  waxed  warm, 
Hindman  proving  unusually  brilliant,  and  driving  the 
poet  from  point  to  point,  until  a  chance  telling  stroke  dis 
concerted  the  doctor,  and  he  surrendered  the  advantage 
by  crying  irritably : 

"  You  are  a  poet,  Raman,  not  a  logician.  Why  should 
we  argue  ? " 

The  poet  joined  in  the  laugh. 

When  Hindman  passed  his  door,  he  changed  his  mind 
about  retiring,  and  went  on  with  them  to  Bronski' s  house. 

A  beer-saloon  prompted  Robinson  to  say  : 

"  Such  music  almost  drives  me,  an  average  man,  to 
drink.  Honestly !  And  I  am  not  appealing  for  sym 
pathy." 

"  Why  don't  you  risk  it  ?  "  laughed  Katherine. 

"  To  display  my  powers  of  resistance." 

"  You  haven't  got  enough  courage  to  give  yourself  to 
impulses,"  snapped  Hindman. 

"  What's  the  use  of  having  it  if  we  are  to  accept  what 
you  preach  ?  " 


WORSHIPPERS  117 

"  You  don't,  Mr.  Robinson.  That  also  would  require 
courage,  I  suppose." 

"  There  will  be  time  to  sit  in  sack  -  cloth  and 
ashes." 

Raman  here  spoke  up  for  his  misunderstood  friend  : 

"  Yet  you  readily  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  grief- 
music,  Mr.  Robinson." 

"  No.  I  merely  listened  and  pitied,"  was  the  explana 
tion  offered,  in  a  quieter  tone  than  when  Hindman  had 
been  addressed.  "  I  would  have  been  much  more  at 
home  had  he  closed  with  a  major  chord.  It  was  almost 
his  duty.  You  know  what  I  mean." 

Katherine  here  offered  : 

"  Tchaikowsky  seemed  to  speak  for  all  humanity. 
There  is  that  note  of  death  running  through  the  dreams 
of  the  present  hour's  visionaries  ;  and  it  may  explain  why 
some  of  the  music  made  me  deliriously  happy.  It  ought 
not  to  have  done  so."  And  she  added  innocently,  "  Per 
haps  I  am  not  Russian  enough."  Their  laughter  startled 
her  a  little. 

"  The  note  of  death  was  barbaric,  without  the  dignity 
of  pride  in  death,"  said  Robinson.  "The  Slav  has  yet 
to  learn  to  smile  bravely." 

"  It's  only  when  the  big  men  of  that  race  turn  moral 
ists  that  they  save  themselves  from  pessimism,"  Hind 
man  said  with  contempt. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  poet :  "  Western  and  Eastern  Europe 
are  at  opposite  poles." 

"Beethoven,"  began  Katherine,  mindful  of  luminous 
discourses  by  Mrs.  Nast,  "is  more  serene — " 

"  Don't  forget  that  he  had  to  accept  a  system,"  Hind 
man  argued,  escaping  himself  for  the  moment.  He 
paused  to  listen  to  Robinson's  humming  of  the  principal 
themes  of  the  Symphony ;  and  said  softly,  "  That's  it ! 


118  WORSHIPPERS 

I  tell  you  there  is  nothing  like  it !  Let  the  frivolous  keep 
Beethoven ! " 

The  door  was  opened  by  Bronski  who  came  out  on 
the  steps  to  shake  hands  with  them  when  Hindman  re 
fused  to  lengthen  the  evening  out  by  entering  the  house 
at  that  hour.  The  unusual  mildness  of  the  air  encour 
aged  conversation. 

"  You  liked  the   music  ?  "     Bronski  asked. 

"  It  was  made  to  order,"  Robinson  cried  gayly. 

"  Even  the  soloist's  expression,"  laughed  Katherine. 

In  reply  to  a  question  from  Bronski,  the  doctor  frankly 
stated  that  he  had  acted  as  accoucheur  during  the  last 
two  -nights. 

Katherine  glanced  at  his  hands  and  shuddered. 

"  It  is  chilly,"  said  Raman.  "  You  ought  not  be  stand 
ing  out  after  being  in  a  warm  room,  Mr.  Bronski." 

"  That  is  a  fact.  But  it  wasn't  the  doctor  who  re 
minded  me  of  it.  A  selfish  age,  Mr.  Raman." 

All  laughed  :  and  with  an  exchange  of  good  wishes  for 
the  night,  the  three  men  departed,  quickly  plunging  into 
a  comparison  of  schools  of  music,  and  seeking  universal 
laws  to  explain  their  preferences. 


WORSHIPPERS  119 


CHAPTER  X 

RONSKI  is  sick,"  was  Hindman's  news  when 
he  next  met  the  poet.  The  doctor  was  stand- 
ing  on  the  steps  ready  to  go  out. 

"  So  !  "  Raman  lifted  dull  eyes  which  met  the  other 
man's  only  for  an  instant.  "  Is  it  serious  ? " 

The  tone  lacked  the  interest  Hindman  expected. 

"  No.  A  cold.  I  watched  you  come  crawling  down 
the  street  as  if  you  would  never  get  here.  You  don't 
look  well." 

"  I  have  not  slept  as  soundly  as  I  wished." 

Hindman  scrutinized  the  pale  features  with  professional 
sharpness. 

"  We'll  talk  about  it  when  we  come  back.  I  am  on 
my  way  to  Bronski  now.  Suppose  you  come  along." 

"  The  stroll  will  help  me.     You  will  not  stay  long  ?  " 

"  I  am  only  going  to  see  the  patient."  And  then  he 
said  hastily,  "  A  man  makes  a  fool  of  himself  when  he 
don't  order  his  work  sensibly.  Are  you  trying  to  grow 
rich  ? " 

The  pace  seemed  to  dissatisfy  Raman. 

"  Don't  loaf,"  he  protested.  "  It's  the  only  exercise  I 
have  had  for  some  time." 

"  You  must  expect  miracles  in  the  next  few  moments. 
It  reminds  me  of  the  young  fellows  from  the  sweat-shops 
in  New  York  who  go  to  punch  the  bag  in  gymnasiums 
provided  by  our  German  brethren.  But  the  wisest  thing 
you  can  do  is  to  take  yourself  off  to  some  farm  about 


120  WORSHIPPERS 

here  where  you  can  really  get  isolation,  as  well  as  fresh 
air." 

"  It  is  only  a  passing  indisposition." 

"  I  hope  so." 

Raman  shot  a  glance  at  his  friend  whose  face  revealed 
nothing. 

They  arrived  at  the  street  in  which  the  Bronskis  lived, 
and  the  poet  had  a  painful  moment  which  did  not  alto 
gether  escape  his  friend. 

"  You  need  not  go  up  to  the  sick  room,"  said  the 
doctor. 

"  Thanks.     That  helps  me." 

Katherine  opened  the  door  for  them.  She  drew  a 
deep  breath  when  she  saw  who  accompanied  Hindman ; 
but  after  the  exchange  of  greetings,  turned  her  attention 
entirely  to  the  doctor. 

"  He  is  feeling  better,"  she  said.  "  By  all  means  im 
press  it  upon  him  that  he  must  not  be  in  a  hurry  to  get 
out.  He  will  not  listen  to  me." 

When  Hindman  was  ready  to  ascend  the  stairs,  he  said : 

"  I  am  going  to  leave  our  friend  behind.  He  is  also 
not  well.  In  creating  the  beautiful  he  forgets  that  he 
has  a  nervous  system.  Don't  look  surprised  :  poets  get 
sick  once  in  a  while.  I  order  you  to  discuss  nothing  but 
the  lightest  subjects, —  like  woman,  or  the  fashions, 
and  so  forth.  I  don't  want  him  left  a  wreck  on  your 
hands."  And  he  quickly  took  himself  off. 

"  I  think  we  prefer  live  poets,"  said  Katherine,  trying 
to  smile.  "  It  is  one  of  our  failings.  You  know  we 
haven't  many  ; — I  mean  poets." 

"I  shall  survive,  I  promise  you."  His  flickering  gaze 
gave  her  strange  courage. 

"  Surely  you  can  be  serviceable  in  the  matter  of  advice 
to  yourself  !  "  she  cried. 


WORSHIPPERS  121 

He  was  as  much  confused  as  touched  by  her  warmth. 

"  Don't  take  Hindman  seriously,"  he  objected.  "  It 
would  make  me  a  gloomy  man  if  /  did.  For  one  thing 
he  advises  me  to  go  to  the  country/'  The  light  died  out 
of  the  woman's  eyes.  "  The  country  at  this  time  of  the 
year,  mind  you  !  It  is  simply  his  desire  to  play  the  phy 
sician.  The  role  becomes  him  occasionally.  Those  of 
his  profession  are  a  curious  lot.  I  never  knew  one  of 
them  who  was  not  more  eager  to  give  advice  than  to 
follow  it." 

"  This  time  he  is  really  in  earnest,"  she  hazarded. 

"  Oh,  mine  is  a  constitution  that  defies  even  the  on 
slaught  of  critics.  To  come  to  something  more  serious, 
I  hope  you  have  not  been  frightened  about  Mr.  Bronski." 

"  Oh,  I  knew  it  was  not  a  dangerous  illness.  But  his 
business  is  suffering ;  an  important  consideration,  be 
lieve  me."  Her  smile  was  a  failure.  "  We  are  not  rich." 

"  None  of  us  are  except  in  the  things  which  are  not 
commonly  understood  to  constitute  riches." 

"  What  a  slip  of  the  tongue !  To  forget  that  your 
Socialism  puts  bread  above  soul !  "  Her  sudden  burst 
of  gayety  hardly  deceived  him. 

"  We  prefer  the  bread,  in  a  measurable  quantity,  be 
low  the  place  usually  assigned  the  soul."  He  grew 
serious  again.  "  You  show  plainly  that  you  have  been 
worrying,  my  friend." 

"  Don't  take  on  that  scolding  tone,  or  I  shall  be  asking 
you  to  deny  that  you  have  been  entirely  free  from 
worry." 

"I'll  not  scold,"  he  said  with  sudden  hunger  for  sym 
pathy. 

"  I  routed  you  by  a  guess.  How  can  people  have  the 
courage  to  be  handing  down  advice  ?  " 

"  It  helps  them." 


122  WORSHIPPERS 

They  laughed  softly. 

"  Tell  me,  have  you  done  anything  lately  outside  of 
what  you  printed  ?  "  she  asked. 

In  a  little  while  conventional  reserve  had  taken  wings. 
So  for  a  time  they  found  familiar  speech  delightful, 
since  it  thrust  into  the  background  the  critical  sense, 
and  left  them  free  for  trifling  that  would  perhaps  be 
meaningless  to  retrospective  moments. 

Raman  allowed  his  mood  to  grow  lighter.  His  lassi 
tude  disappeared  ;  and  he  felt  refreshed.  Several  times 
the  woman  attempted  to  lift  the  conversation  to  a  higher 
plane  ;  but  he  would  have  none  of  it.  Her  delight  at 
this  rare  display  of  temper  was  not  checked  when  she 
realized  that  he  was  playing  a  part.  So  the  truant  spirit 
ruled  for  the  time  being. 

Hindman  almost  chuckled  when  he  found  them  laugh 
ing. 

"  Mr.  Bronski  will  be  about  in  a  few  days,"  he  an 
nounced.  "  But  I  have  ordered  him  to  stay  in  bed  for 
another  week  ;  unless  he  is  eager  for  pneumonia.  Do 
you  know,  Raman,  many  sick  people  are  frauds.  It 
grows  upon  me  more  and  more." 

"  You  have  reference  to  myself  ? " 

"  Oh,  I  almost  forgot  you  were  not  feeling  well." 

"  Well,  don't  dare  tell  Mr.  Bronski  that  he  deceives 
himself,"  Katherine  cried.  "  He  refuses  to  go  to  bed 
until  he  is  ready  to  fall  from  his  feet.  Surely  he  ought 
to  understand  the  importance  of  medical  treatment !  Men 
are  so  infantile  !  " 

"  He  has  sympathy  for  other  sick  people  only.  You 
see,  living  on  the  other  side  of  a  drug-counter,  he  feels 
himself  above  such  things  as  colds.  A  layman  is  lucky 
sometimes."  Every  glance  the  doctor  directed  at  the 
woman  was  sharp  and  searching. 


WORSHIPPERS  123 

"  It  is  simply  madness,"  protested  the  woman.  "  He 
jokes,  and  promises  to  outlive  me.  It  is  only  to  others 
that  he  sometimes  speaks  of  not  feeling  well."  She 
could  have  bitten  off  her  tongue  for  the  words.  "  His 
one  argument  is  that  he  is  not  a  woman." 

"  You  have  not  had  a  sick  day  that  I  can  remember," 
Hindman  said  with  a  smile. 

"la  sick  woman  !     The  idea  is  horrible !  " 

Raman  got  to  his  feet,  his  mien  sober  enough  to  satis 
fy  himself. 

"  As  for  invalid  number  two,"  said  Hindman  turning 
to  him,  "  I  shall  get  you  a  bottle  of  prosaic  chemicals 
that  will  return  the  soul  to  its  ordinary  brilliancy.  A 
glorious  day,  Mrs.  Bronski.  A  pity  you  are  tied  to  the 
house." 

"  Our  duties,  my  friend,"  she  made  reply. 

At  the  door  she  said  nothing  to  Raman  about  calling 
again. 

The  doctor  found  the  sunshine  pleasant. 

"  What  beggarly  creatures  we  are  !  "  he  exclaimed. 
"  Some  light  and  heat,  and  we  grow  young  !  " 

The  other's  silence  brought  a  grunt  from  him. 

Raman's  thoughts  pieced  together  ran  thus : 

"  She  is  lonely,  ashamed,  helpless,  desperate.  She  is 
losing — if  she  has  not  already  lost — all  sympathy  for  the 
man  who  has  thrust  himself  into  her  life.  And  but  for 
fear  of  what  the  world  would  say,  she  would  have  left  him 
long  ago.  What  has  he  in  common  with  her  ?  A  crutch 
to  the  girl,  he  has  grown  to  be  a  burden  to  her  sensitive 
conscience.  The  burden  is  almost  driving  her  mad.  It 
is  robbing  her  of  her  womanliness.  She  has  nothing 
left  to  her  but  her  ambition ;  and  for  that  reason  con 
centrates  every  thought  upon  it.  Can  he  not  see  that 
she  is  less  concerned  with  his  illness  than  with  the  trials 


124  WORSHIPPERS 

it  involves  ?  She  is  not  lying  to  him  ;  it  is  he  who  is  de 
ceiving  himself." 

He  would  not  allow  that  he  might  be  coloring  the 
situation. 

"  She  has  strength ;  but  fears  to  threaten  the  future. 
Do  I  understand  the  woman  ?  She  conceals  nothing." 

He  shrank  from  discussing  the  matter  with  the  man 
beside  him. 

"  Why  are  you  so  quiet  ?  "  he  asked  suddenly. 

"  Was  it  I  ?  "  growled  the  doctor. 

Katherine  had  at  once  gone  to  the  sick-room  where 
Bronski  lay  in  a  night-gown,  his  unshaven,  grey-white 
face  staring  oddly  out  of  the  depths  of  the  pillow. 

"  Hindman  made  short  work  of  it,"  he  cried.  "  I  will 
be  about  next  week.  I  suppose  he  told  you." 

"  Yes,"  said  Katherine  quietly.  "  He  thinks,  though, 
that  you  will  do  something  that  will  bring  on  complica 
tions."  Then,  almost  with  anger  :  "  You  must  be  care 
ful  ! " 

"  Of  course  I  shall  wait  a  few  days.  Don't  worry 
about  it,  dear.  I  shall  take  care ;  believe  me." 

"  I  hope  so." 

She  went  about  the  sick-room  putting  things  in  order, 
but  always  kept  at  arm's  length  from  the  bed. 

"  It  is  disgusting  to  lie  here  so  helpless,"  groaned 
Bronski.  "  It  almost  makes  me  ashamed  of  myself.  I'll 
have  to  take  greater  care  than  I  have  done." 

"  Is  there  anything  you  want  just  now  ?  " 

"  Some  fresh  water.  You  look  tired,  dear.  You  are 
feeling  well  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes.  I  suppose  I  have  been  too  much  in  the 
house.  But  it  doesn't  matter.  I  have  grown  accus 
tomed  to  it." 


WORSHIPPERS  125 

"  Well,  I'll  sleep  this  afternoon.  You  can  get  your 
things  on  and  go  out.  It  is  sunshiny  and  bright."  He 
wistfully  studied  the  bit  of  sky  over  his  window. 

She  asked,  "  You  are  sure  you  will  sleep  ?  " 

"  Yes,  dear,"  He  suppressed  a  sigh,  and  said,  "  Ah, 
I'm  glad  the  boy  at  the  store  can  be  depended  on.  It 
would  have  been  an  awful  worry." 

"  Of  course  you  will  pay  Hindman." 

"  He  will  refuse ;  but  I  shall  insist.  I  don't  think 
he  gives  enough  attention  to  his  practice  now,  and 
he  can't  be  making  much  money.  And  then  we  mustn't 
forget  that  he  sends  all  the  prescriptions  he  writes  in  the 
neighborhood  to  me.  A  queer  man  !  I  wonder  how 
many  understand  him  ?  He  can  be  as  soft  as  a  child 
sometimes.  I  believe  he  actually  pitied  me,"  Bronski  dis 
covered,  with  a  laugh. 

"  What  ?  "  cried  the  woman  sharply. 

"  I  suppose  he  thinks  money-matters  are  disturbing 
me." 

"  We  can  very  well  get  along  without  his  pity." 

"  Well,  don't  look  at  it  that  way.  I  simply  couldn't 
understand  why  he  was  so  pleasant.  Dear,  won't  you 
kiss  me  before  you  go  ? " 

Although  she  turned  to  him  obediently,  her  mouth 
quivered  with  pain. 

"  If  you  wish  it." 

She  bent  over  him,  and  her  lips  swept  his  forehead. 

"  I  hope  you  will  be  in  no  hurry  to  return,"  he  said  ; 
and  sighed. 

She  had  moved  out  of  his  reach. 

« I  will  see." 

When  she  was  alone,  she  cried  : 

"  Well,  what  will  be  the  end  ?  Must  I  suffer  like  that  ? 
I  am  helpless !  I  am  helpless !  The  world  does  not 


126  WORSHIPPERS 

seem  to  be  the  same.  Must  that  be  another  burden  ? 
Oh,  God  help  me  !  Bah  !  I  am  like  a  child ! " 

She  quaked  with  fear  before  the  future  that  persisted 
in  unrolling  itself.  But  one  solution  offered — No ! 
There  were  two  !  And  the  second  involved  the  first. 
"  I  am  mad  to  expect  it  !  "  she  cried.  "  It  is  not  only 
improbable,  but  impossible!  Why  should  I  be  so  des 
perate  as  to  expect  it  ? " 

Soon  after  she  went  out,  turning  her  steps  in  the  direc 
tion  of  Mrs.  Nast's  house. 


WORSHIPPERS  127 


CHAPTER   XI 

THE  activity  of  the  Christmas  week  found  its 
way   into  the    Jewish  quarter,  and  even  Dr. 
Hindman   was   the    recipient    of   New   Year 
greetings.     A  period  of  cheerfulness  consequent   upon 
busy  days  put  him  in   the  mood  to  seek  out   Raman 
whom  he  had  not   seen  for  some  days,  when  it  hap 
pened  that  the  poet  was  shown  into  his  office. 

"I  thought  you  had  made  one  job  of  the  whole  bottle," 
said  the  doctor,  shaking  his  hand  without  manifesting 
much  feeling. 

"  Really  !     Then  you  don't  read  the  newspapers." 

"  Yours,  once  in  a  while." 

"It  helps  the  circulation.  As  for  your  drugs,  I 
followed  your  directions  instead  of  any  fanciful  ones. 
Strange  that  you  should  ordinarily  be  disposed  to  effect 
a  cure  ! " 

"  I  would  say  you  look  well ;  but  seem  too  much  a  man 
with  a  grievance.  What  made  you  come  out  of  your 
blessed  solitude  ? " 

"  The  air  of  festivity  everywhere.  Our  next  Jewish 
generation  ought  to  be  broad-minded  enough  to  celebrate 
Christmas,  as  a  means  of  stealing  the  enemy's  thunder. 
Can  you  tell  me  anything  new  ? " 

"  I  read  with  patience  some  columns  you  wrote." 

"  Well !  Well !  Where  is  your  consistency  ? "  Raman 
laughed. 

"  Suppose  I  ask  you  that  question  !  " 


128  WORSHIPPERS 

"  It  was  the  article  on  '  Stage  Realism,'  eh  ? " 
"  Your  conscience  must  hurt  you  pretty  badly." 
"  It  was  not  done  in  haste.     So  you  read  it  all ! " 
"  Yes.     And  am  now  following  with  interest  the  loving 
names  you  are  being   called  by  the  conservative  press. 
Coming  after  Danvitz's  new  play  it  was  sure  to  raise  a 
storm.     You  ought  to  feel  proud  about  the  way  they  hate 
you.     Confess  that  you  enjoy  it !  " 

"Ah,  Hindman,  think  of  the  many  they  mislead! 
You  know  we  have  created  a  drama  in  Yiddish  second  to 
none,  if  realism  is  the  last  word.  And  really,  Danvitz 
and  the  others  have  put  their  souls  into  the  work.  And 
then  to  be  called  '  Defilers  of  the  Public  Morals  ! '  I 
could  not  remain  quiet." 

"  Don't  get  so  excited.  It  is  the  business  of  the  other 
side  to  prove  not  only  that  you  are  wrong,  but  rascals  in 
the  bargain.  To  come  back  to  the  article,  let  me  say  I 
was  surprised."  He  looked  at  the  poet  through  half- 
closed  eyes.  "  I  did  not  recognize  it  as  yours — despite 
the  style — until  I  got  to  the  name.  You  must  have 
been  very  indignant." 

"  I  am  glad  you  liked  it."     Raman  was  uneasy. 
"  How  do  you  know  I  did  ?     But  jesting  aside,  I  felt 
that  I  would  have  liked  to  have  written  it  myself." 

"  That  is  kind  of  you.  I  hope  it  cleared  the  atmos 
phere." 

Hindman  laughed. 

"  You  have  made  it  worse,"  he  said.  "  It  will  be  war 
to  the  end." 

"  The  attack,  I  noticed  this  morning,  has  become  per 
sonal  ;  but  they  are  beating  the  air.  I  have  lived  an 
open  life." 

"  And  the  gentleman  who  owns  the  opposition  sheets  is 
a  pious  Jew.  And  he  is  a  philanthropist.  And  he  has 


WORSHIPPERS  129 

a  warm  heart  for  every  bearded  member  of  his  race  who 
reads  his  paper,  and  who  is  an  uncomplaining  sweat-shop 
worker.  So  you  are  both  pretty  helpless.  Listen," 
came  with  surprising  friendliness :  "  accept  what  you 
have  written,  and  furnish  us  a  play.  I  want  to  see  how 
you  would  go  about  solving  the  marriage  problem." 

Raman  halted  in  the  turn  he  was  taking  about  the 
room. 

"  You  feel  the  swerve  from  idealism  ? "  he  asked, 
fixing  searching  eyes  upon  the  doctor. 

"  To  the  deuce  with  your  idealism  !  For  once  you 
spoke  the  truth  as  would  one  who  is  not  blind  to  what  is 
going  on  around  him.  If  it  is  your  indignation  that 
does  this  sort  of  thing,  I  would  advise  you  to  give  way  to 
it  oftener." 

"  I  said  nothing  new." 

"  It  was  enough  to  set  New  York  to  talking.  What 
a  lucky  man  you  are  to  have  stumbled  upon  the  fact  at 
this  late  day  that  nothing  arouses  like  a  good  shout.  If 
I  were  you  I  would  keep  at  this  distance.  It  would  be 
more  like  isolation  just  now." 

"  I  was  thinking  of  going  back." 

"  So  ?     She  has  grown  cold  ? " 

"What?" 

Raman  had  lost  color,  and  was  staring  at  his  friend 
with  anger  and  astonishment.  Suddenly  he  started,  and 
laughed. 

"  Oh,  I  see.  No.  I  wondered  what  you  meant.  I 
forgot  that  I  had  made  you  a  confidante." 

"  You  are  only  thinking  of  going  back  ? " 

"I  have  not  made  up  my  mind." 

"  Are  you  trying  to  be  odd  ?  "  Hindman  asked,  gazing 
quizzically  at  the  other  man  whose  face  seemed  to  have 
hardened  in  the  last  few  weeks. 


130  WORSHIPPERS 

For  an  instant  the  poet  threw  himself  into  an  attitude 
which  promised  speech  ;  but  only  said  : 

"  You  do  not  doubt  my  honesty,  I  hope." 

"  Every  man  is  honest  to  himself  ;  or  would  be  men 
tally  unbalanced." 

They  were  silent ;  and  both  gazed  out  of  the  window 
upon  a  walled-in  space, — commonly  called  a  '  yard/ — 
where  a  child  was  taking  advantage  of  the  sunshine  to 
perambulate,  gravely,  with  a  coach  and  doll. 

Hindman  forgot  himself  long  enough  to  sigh  ;  then 
cried,  "  Nonsense  !  Nonsense  !  We  are  not  children  ! 
Although  at  times  it  all  seems  very  simple." 

Raman  leaned  forward,  and  put  his  hand  on  the  other's 
shoulder. 

"  Does  it  ? "  he  asked. 

"  If  we  trust  first  instincts.  But  doesn't  it  appear  to 
you  that  we  have  changed  identities  to-day  ?  You  are 
beginning  to  be  more  of  a  puzzle  ;  only  you  are  wise 
enough  to  dissemble.  Let  me  feel  your  pulse. — Normal. 
You  are  sleeping  ?  " 

«  Yes." 

"  Then  you  are  out  of  my  province.  If  it  is  the  result 
of  your  indignation  that  you  get  into  moods  like  these, 
we  can  sacrifice  your  defense  of  the  Realist.  You  know 
we  expect  certain  things  of  you — " 

"  Come,  don't  be  frivolous,"  protested  Raman,  resum 
ing  his  walk  about  the  room. 

"  Oh,  I  wasn't  before  you  came.  What  objection  have 
you  to  becoming  a  social  animal  again  ?  To-morrow  is 
New  Year's  Eve — " 

"So  I  was  apprised  by  the  Goldmans,"  the  poet  laughed. 
"  I  suppose  it  means  another  feast.  But  I  won't  go ; 
since  I  won't  go  alone  ;  and  to  go  with  you  is  to  be  con 
scious  all  the  time  that  you  are  laughing  at  them." 


WORSHIPPERS  131 

"  Oh,  77/go.  My  invitation  must  have  been  sent  me 
in  the  hope  that  I'd  bring  you, — not  you  me.  Don't 
stay  away.  Mrs.  Goldman  will  have  read  your  poems  by 
this  time,  and  will  be  able  to  discuss  them  at  some  length. 
Her  sister-in-law  is  still  unmarried.  (I  hope  you  have  not 
been  blind  to  the  attractions  of  that  lady.)  And  Gold 
man  will  want  to  be  spiritual  after  the  year's  money- 
making." 

Raman  nodded  absently. 

"  And  then  we  will  have  plenty  of  time  left  to  go  to 
the  Russian  Club,"  added  the  doctor. 

"  Ah,  yes !  What  is  it  ? "  Raman  asked,  turning  to 
him.  "  I  have  heard  it  spoken  of,  casually.  I  got  an 
invitation." 

"  It  is  composed  of  our  intellectually  Wandering  Jews. 
They  were  slow  in  getting  together  this  year.  I  don't 
see  why  they  didn't  have  you  deliver  a  lecture  on  art. 
They  will  if  you  stay  much  longer.  A  pity  you  don't 
know  something  about  painting;  you  would  overawe 
them.  On  that  subject  they  are  entirely  deficient. 
Have  you  seen  theBronskis  lately  ?  "  he  asked  carelessly. 

"  No.     I  would  have  come  here." 

"  Absurd.  You  sometimes  make  me  believe  that  you 
are  a  boy.  You  once  went  yourself.  Why  are  you 
afraid  of  doing  it  again  ? " 

"  Hindman,  you  make  me  very  impatient  with  your 
show  of  wisdom,"  said  the  poet  irritably. 

"  And  you  with  the  ease  with  which  you  discover  hid 
den  meanings.  Tell  me,  what  do  you  think  of  them  ? 
Be  honest." 

"  Is  it  more  than  mere  curiosity  that  prompts  you  to 
ask  the  question  ? " 

"  I  am  serious.  You  have  been  here  long  enough  to 
have  had  a  fair  look  at  it." 


132  WORSHIPPERS 

After  a  glance  Raman  was  satisfied  that  the  other 
man's  question  had  not  been  put  in  a  trifling  spirit. 

"  All  I  can  say  is  that  their  relation  to  one  another 
does  not  appeal  to  me,"  he  confessed  hesitatingly. 

"  You  have  not  excused  them.  Your  opinion  is  get 
ting  to  be  worth  something." 

Raman  ran  his  hand  through  his  hair  with  a  nervous 
motion. 

"  I  don't  believe  the  woman  would  excuse  herself," 
he  said.  "  You  may  have  seen  it." 

"  I  haven't  been  watching  her  closely  of  late."  And 
Hindman  hurried  on  to  say,  "  She  interested  me  at  one 
time.  I  have  several  photographs  of  her  in  costume  put 
away  somewhere.  But — "  He  shrugged  his  shoulders 
slightly,  and  was  silent.  The  other's  soft,  "Well?" 
aroused  him.  "  Well,  I  am  so  restless  myself  that  I 
could  not  think  of  multiplying  it  by  two.  That  was  the 
only  time  I  allowed  my  head  to  rule  in  a  matter  of  that 
sort." 

"  You  think  she  would  have  been  willing  to  exchange 
Bronski  for  you  ?  "  came  quietly. 

"  Are  you  insinuating  that  she  might  have  gained 
nothing?"  the  doctor  laughed.  "Be  it  to  my  credit 
that  I  was  for  once  considerate,  and  made  no  effort  to 
cheat  Bronski  out  of  his  happiness." 

"  She  must  be  restless  under  the  strain  of  her  posi 
tion." 

"  You  can't  read  a  woman  like  that  easily.  Although 
that  may  not  be  your  opinion.  All  this  ado  she  makes 
about  her  ambitions  not  being  realized  tires  me.  Of 
course  she  may  wish  to  escape  Bronski, — especially — 
Well,  but  now," — quickly,  to  cover  the  retreat  from  the 
suggested  thought — "is  her  period  of  transition.  She 
will  learn  to  accustom  herself  soon,  I  suppose.  That  is 


WORSHIPPERS  133 

the  direction  it  will  take,  unless  she  is  shaken  out  of  her 
fixity.  One  thing, — she  is  no  longer  a  girl ;  she  will  not 
change  conditions  without  looking  carefully  into  the  fu 
ture." 

"  You  have  given  her  some  thought,"  admitted  Raman. 

"  It  is  interesting — like  a  problem  in  surgery  when 
unknown  things  are  involved." 

"  I,  too,  have  thought  it  over.  You  believe  she  has 
strength  ? " 

"  Strength  ?  Bah  !  The  least  of  many  women  I  know 
who  pose  less.  She  is  a  coward  !  "  It  was  like  a  snarl. 

"  Put  yourself  in  her  place,  Hindman, — sympathetic 
ally." 

"  I  can't.  It  turns  my  stomach.  What  do  you  ex 
pect  ? " 

"  You  don't  allow  for  the  times  we  are  living  in. 
Think  how  we  are  at  the  mercy  of  countless  things  ! — " 

Hindman  laughed  uproariously. 

"  You  put  forward  such  a  defence  !  Well !  Don't 
talk  nonsense  to  me !  I  have  no  pity  to  spare ;  nor 
desire  to  soften  the  situation.  But  what  is  the  use  of 
getting  excited?  I  have  but  one  name  for  her."  He 
gave  it ;  but  the  man  before  him  was  unmoved,  and  said 
simply  : 

"  No,  you  have  no  mercy." 

"  My  way  of  looking  at  it  should  appeal  to  you,"  Hind 
man  said  with  an  uneasy  laugh.  "  Am  I  not  looking 
down  from  big  heights  ?  The  truth  is  paramount.  Her 
case  does  not  bother  me  to  any  great  extent.  I  have 
seen  it  so  long  that,  like  her,  I  am  almost  reconciled. 
There  are  more  interesting  instances  of  mating  that 
might  command  one's  pity." 

"  I  do  not  believe  it,"  said  Raman  very  quietly. 

"  Well,  no  matter  what  happens  now,  she  has  thought 


134  WORSHIPPERS 

too  much  of  herself  and  her  ambitions  to  play  second 
fiddle  to  any  ordinary  man.  If  it's  a  hero  she  is  waiting 
for,  she  will  have  plenty  of  time  to  accustom  herself  to 
the  society  of  the  failures :  I  heard  she  considers  sev 
eral  of  us  that.  Even  now  she  is  growing  tired  of 
shrieking  against  the  cruelty  of  an  unappreciative  world." 

"  You  are  guessing,"  murmured  the  poet.  "  You  are 
guessing." 

"  Nonsense !  Do  you  think  it  is  awfully  hard  to  put 
one's  self  in  her  place  ? " 

Raman's  silence  nettled  the  doctor. 

"  Why  not  talk  it  over  ? "  he  urged,  watching  the 
other  man  carefully.  "  I  want  what  they  call  *  swapping 
views.'  How  unlike  the  rational  lower  animal  world  ! " 

"  Rational !  " 

"  Very  well :  we  shall  call  Katherine  Bronski  rational. 
You  won't  quarrel  to-day,  eh  ? " 

Raman  smiled — sadly,  it  seemed  to  his  friend. 

"  I  leave  it  all  to  you,"  he  said. 

"  Our  town  shouldn't  make  you  gloomy.  You  discuss 
these  things  where  you  come  from.  But  you  are  so 
sensitive  that  one  feels  like  providing  a  glass  case  for 
you."  And  then  he  earnestly  warned,  "  Keep  the  spec 
tator's  attitude  by  all  means.  I  wouldn't  want  you  to 
grow  into  a  sad  man." 

If  he  expected  an  outburst,  he  was  doomed  to  disap 
pointment.  Raman  said  with  a  shrug,  "  How  blind  you 
are  !  " 

"  All  right.     I  thought  I  was  a  little  too  brave." 

The  door  bell  rang.  Before  its  sound  died  away,  a 
girl,  thin,  ill-clad,  with  tear-stained  face  hurried  in. 

"  Please,  doctor,  father  has  got  another  hemorrhage," 
she  sobbed. 

"I'll  be  right    there."     And    Hindman    was  on  his 


WORSHIPPERS  135 

feet,  and  had  caught  up  some  vials.  "  Go  home,"  he 
said.  "  I'm  coming.  Tell  your  mother  that  she  knows 
what  to  do.  I'll  be  right  there." 

The  little,  ill-shod  feet,  took  themselves  off  as  if  on 
wings.  The  doctor  said  quickly  to  Raman  : 

"  Serious.  In  the  last  stages  of  tuberculosis.  You'll 
be  around  to-morrow  evening  ?  " 

"Yes.     Yes.     Go!" 

He  followed  him  out,  and  took  his  way  in  the  oppo 
site  direction. 

"  Hindman  has  more  pity  in  his  nature  than  he  will 
allow.  Poor  child  !  How  can  my  problems  be  serious 
in  comparison  ? "  After  a  moment  the  poet  asked,  "  Am 
I  trifling  ?  Have  I  given  it  the  thought  it  deserves  ? 
Even  he  finds  much  to  be  passed  upon.  I  should  go 
back  to  New  York  ;  but  that  would  be  flight.  I  would 
be  doing  what  I  would  counsel  no  man  to  do." 

He  straightened  up  ;  but  a  few  minutes  later  was  back 
again  to  the  question  of  flight. 

"  Is  Hindman  right  ? "  he  suddenly  cried.  "Or  is 
he  belittling  the  woman  ?  What  does  he  mean  by 
strength  ? — that  she  should  startle  the  world  by  dramati 
cally  throwing  Bronski  over  ?  So  much  has  he  lived  in 
theory !  If  it  were  his  case  ?  He  ought  to  see  that 
life  often  robs  us  of  courage,  diminishes  our  powers  of 
resistance.  What  did  he  count  for  when  he  faced  ac 
tual  conditions  ?  Strength  !  He  could  not  put  himself 
in  her  place.  Of  course  he  discerns  my  interest,  and 
does  not  mind  putting  on  the  screws." 

"  How  do  you  do,  Mr.   Raman  ?  " 

A  young  man  who  had  passed  him,  going  in  his  di 
rection,  had  halted,  and  was  holding  out  his  hand.  The 
poet  recognized  a  student  he  had  met  at  the  Goldmans. 

"  How  do  you  do  ?  "  he  said,  trying  to  smile. 


136  WORSHIPPERS 


CHAPTER  XII 

"  "X   TOU  certainly  look  well   in  black,"  was  Hind- 
|j        man's  greeting  to  the  poet  the  next  evening. 
-*-  "  What  a  fortunate  observation  when  a  man 

has  a  mirror  which  is  only  two  feet  by  two !     Greys 
become  you  wonderfully." 

"I  don't  give  much  attention  to  dress  now,  I  will 
confess,"  said  the  doctor,  coloring  a  little  with  pleasure. 
"  As  you  know,  that  was  not  always  true." 

"  I  always  thought  in  those  days  that  you  would  have 
sported  a  cane  if  you  had  not  been  afraid  of  losing  favor 
with  your  union,"  laughed  Raman. 

Time  passed  pleasantly  in  jest ;  and  then  the  friends 
discoursed  on  the  New  Year,  growing  serious  as  their 
struggles  in  a  not  very  remote  past  occupied  their  at 
tention. 

"  It  will  be  the  same  with  the  rest  of  the  procession," 
said  Hindman.  "  Men  coming  up  to  the  firing  line 
believe  that  they  will  be  the  exception,  and  will  escape 
with  a  whole  skin.  We  forgave  our  conceit  when  we 
coined  the  word  '  hero.'  If  you  had  seen  as  many  corpses 
as  I—" 

"  You  have  an  odd  way  of  falling  upon  the  sad," 
scolded  the  poet. 

"  Perhaps  I  ought  to  make  a  resolution  to-morrow  that 
I  will  be  happy  forever  after." 

"  Don't  see  it  in  the  light  of  a  joke.  You  have  been 
happy." 

"  My  memory  is  very  treacherous." 


WORSHIPPERS  137 

«  By  the  way — that  tubercular  patient  of  yours — " 

"  He  is  dead,"  said  the  doctor  almost  absently. 

"A  large  family?" 

"  Of  course  1  "  growled  Hindman,  now  aroused.  "  Do 
you  think  they  are  rich  ?  " 

"  Ah,  my  dear  friend,  it  is  not  that  they  wanted  to 
dispute  your  logic.  The  horror  of  it  all  will  be  the  way 
they  will  have  to  crawl  to  get  a  few  dollars  from  the  charity 
organizations.  What  a  New  Year  !  Couldn't  we  spare 
a  little  money  ?  " 

"  I  thought  you  would  try  to  solve  the  problem  in  that 
magnificent  way.  Well,  it  has  already  cost  me  fifteen 
dollars  outside  of  medicine."  Raman  guessed  that  he 
had  not  included  his  services.  "  I  don't  know  that  I  can 
do  much  more  than  that.  What  can  you  give  ?  " 

"  Twenty.  We  might  get  some  club  to  make  an  affair. 
I  would  read — " 

"  Oh,  stop  it !  If  you  saw  the  cases  we  physicians 
come  across,  you  would  end  by  either  becoming  a  poor 
man  or  a  heartless  one.  The  hardening  process  which 
every  agent  of  the  Charity  Organization  undergoes  is 
natural.  For  once  the  Christians  do  it  a  little  better  than 
we." 

"  The  Goldman s  might  be  spoken  to — " 

"  My,  what  an  opportunist  you  can  be  !  I  guess  it 
will  prove  all  right.  The  old  Mrs.  Goldman  is  both 
charitable  and  kind-hearted.  And  you  may  be  able  to 
squeeze  a  few  dollars  out  of  the  Russian  Club.  There 
will  be  plenty  of  leisure  for  that  performance  :  they  wait 
for  the  sun  to  rise  before  they  disperse  to  their  homes." 

At  the  Goldmans  the  evening  promised  to  be  a  repeti 
tion  of  the  last.  The  student  body  interrupted  its 
shouting  and  singing  to  welcome  the  new-comers.  The 
family  of  the  merchant  crowded  about  the  poet,  and  made 


138  WORSHIPPERS 

an  heroic  effort  to  win  his  good  opinion,  until  Hindman, 
who  had  been  ignored,  became  boisterous,  and  gained  the 
centre  of  the  stage,  allowing  his  friend  to  escape  from  a 
difficult  position. 

Then  the  doctor  suddenly  became  quiet,  and  went  off 
in  a  corner  to  smoke.  He  emerged  later  to  discuss 
biology  with  Dr.  Ratner,  soon  surrounding  himself  with 
eager  listeners. 

Raman  was  relieved  to  find  the  talk  less  formal  than 
on  the  former  occasion  ;  although  before  much  time  had 
elapsed,  the  younger  Mrs.  Goldman — true  to  Hindman' s 
prediction — touched  upon  his  poems,  and  favored  him 
with  those  lines  which  she  considered  his  best. — ("Your 
masterpieces,"  she  called  them.) — Her  sister-in-law  lis 
tened  with  painful  patience,  now  and  then  adjusting  the 
costly  silks,  and  striking  new  attitudes. 

Dr.  Ratner,  feeling  it  incumbent  upon  him  to  add  to 
the  gayety,  danced  a  waltz  with  a  little  girl.  Then  a 
student  who  boasted  muscular  development  and  sound 
teeth  did  tricks  with  both  in  conjunction  with  a  heavy 
chair. 

After  this  all  made  their  way  to  the  table. 

Toasts  by  the  students  in  honor  of  the  Goldmans  al 
lowed  the  acknowledged  head  of  the  house — the  younger 
Mr.  Goldman — to  make  a  speech  ;  which  he  concluded 
by  pledging  the  poet,  and  dwelling  on  his  worth  and 
efforts  "  in  behalf  of  an  appreciative  humanity." 

Beneath  the  array  of  stilted  words  lay  respect  and 
sincerity  ;  and  when  he  called  upon  Raman  to  speak,  the 
latter  did  not  hesitate. 

He  touched  on  the  importance  of  friendship,  and 
thanked  them  for  the  welcome  accorded  him  on  his  ap 
pearance  among  them.  He  next  essayed  a  brief  discus 
sion  of  the  problems  that  confronted  every  man  in  his 


WORSHIPPERS  139 

life-work,  appealing  to  the  students  to  extend  a  helping 
hand  to  the  many  with  whom  they  came  in  contact. 
"  Too  quickly  we  forget  the  interests  of  the  other  man  !  " 
he  warned.  He  made  mention  of  the  destitute  family 
which  faced  the  new  year  without  any  hope  of  the  morrow. 
With  a  feeling  that  most  of  his  words  were  wasted  on 
them,  he  dropped  into  Yiddish,  and  turning  to  the  elder 
Goldman s  spoke  of  the  orphans  and  widow,  and  secured 
a  promise  that  the  matter  would  be  looked  into. 

When  he  found  his  seat,  the  applause  was  hearty. 

Hindman  was  called  upon.  He  skillfully  ridiculed  the 
poet's  utilitarianism ;  and  dragged  in  biology  to  prove 
that  "  we  must  accept  the  dictum  t  Each  man  for  himself, 
and  the  devil  take  the  hindmost/  or  become  as  children." 
He  finished  with,  "  So  I  drink  to  the  man  who  has  no 
use  for  pretty  words,  and  can  shrug  his  shoulders  when 
the  world  either  rejoices  at  its  foolishness  or  quarrels 
over  it." 

No  sooner  did  he  regain  his  seat  than  he  was  assailed 
on  every  side ;  but  instead  of  shrugging  his  shoulders  at 
what  he  considered  absurdities,  he  fought  the  objections 
of  his  adversaries  tooth  and  nail.  Again  and  again  they 
were  crushed  by  ponderous  strokes  of  his  logic,  as  too 
audacious  members  of  a  pack  are  brought  down  by  a 
bear  at  bay.  He  would  often  wax  personal,  much  to 
their  discomfort,  for  he  was  quick  to  discern  their  fail 
ings. 

He  was  not  satisfied  when  they  left  the  field  ;  and 
Goldman's  chance  discourse  on  the  methods  of  great 
industrial  captains  brought  a  host  of  questions  from  the 
doctor  that  made  the  merchant  wince.  Champions  for 
the  host  were  not  wanting,  so  that  the  strife  did  not 
slacken. 

The  poet  smiled  at  the  return  of  Hindman's  old  fight- 


140  WORSHIPPERS 

ing  spirit.  He  would  have  wished  it  more  than  an 
evening's  amusement  for  the  doctor.  Meanwhile  every 
thing  was  at  a  standstill  as  the  struggle  raged.  Little 
courtesy  was  shown,  and  seemed  not  to  be  expected.  It 
appeared  that  everyone  had  accepted  the  dictum,  "  Each 
man  for  himself." 

The  elder  Mrs.  Goldman,  finding  courage  in  the  din, 
cried  in  Yiddish,  "  Why  don't  you  eat  ?  Why  talk  so 
much  and  leave  things  untasted  ?" 

Beginning  with  the  man  nearest  that  lady  silence 
spread  about  the  table  ;  her  logic  found  not  a  disputant. 
They  busied  themselves  with  the  "  tasting  "  process  un 
til  the  board  was  almost  swept  clean. 

Then  they  returned  to  the  parlor  where  soft  seats  were 
greeted  with  sighs  of  satisfaction,  and  languor  seized  upon 
many.  Talent  was  in  demand. 

One  of  the  students  had  brought  a  violin,  and  he 
started  a  college  song  which  was  taken  up  with  a  roar. 
At  its  close  Berenson  rendered  a  Yiddish  melody,  and 
was  cheered  by  his  fellows.  Then  Miss  Jennie  Goldman 
tried  a  popular  air  to  Gorun's  uncertain  accompaniment. 
"  She  doesn't  lack  courage,"  whispered  someone  in 
Raman's  neighborhood. 

When  the  young  lady  had  bowed  herself  to  her  seat, 
Hindman  arose. 

"  You  intend  to  sing  ?  "  cried  Dr.  Ratner. 

"  No.  We  are  going."  Which  was  the  signal  for  a 
noisy  protest. 

"Why  so  early?"  "What's  your  hurry?"  "Do 
stay  !  "  "  Why,  the  fun  is  just  beginning  !  "  and  similar 
cries  left  the  doctor  unmoved. 

"  Mr.  Raman  and  myself  are  on  our  way  to  the  Rus 
sian  Club,"  he  explained. 

"A  little  later,"  pleaded  Goldman.     "  They  can't  ex- 


WORSHIPPERS  141 

pect  you  at  this  hour.     They  never  get  together  early. 
I  know  them." 

"  Certainly  they  expect  us.  They  will  resent  our  com 
ing  much  later." 

It  pointed  clearly  to  the  honor  conferred  upon  the 
Goldmans  by  the  presence  of  the  two  men.  After  a  gene 
ral  handshaking  they  were  released. 

Once  in  the  street  a  spirit  of  gayety  seized  upon  them. 

"  You  ought  to  thank  me,"  cried  the  doctor.  "  But 
of  course  you  will  pretend  you  enjoyed  it." 

"  One  thing  struck  me  above  all  things,"  laughed 
Raman. 

"  Ah  !  The  young  lady  they  have  in  view  for  you  !  " 

"  Nonsense  !  No  ;  the  way  those  students  disposed  of 
everything  in  sight.  It  was  an  inspiration." 

"  What  else  can  they  do  so  well  ?  But  really,  there 
were  things  there  to  give  a  man  an  appetite.  I  have  an 
idea  that  there  will  be  no  more  of  it ;  they  are  about 
ready  to  give  you  up  as  a  possible  suitor." 

"  I  don't  see  why  they  should.  I  ate  next  to  noth 
ing,  as  befits  a  man  touched  by  Mrs.  Nast's  'grand 
passion.'  Which  might  explain  why  you  did  not  starve 
yourself." 

"  I  always  had  a  reputation  for  storing  away  a  great 
deal.  What  else  could  /  do  there  that  would  be  better 
appreciated  ?  " 

"  Make  them  a  speech  every  time  you  are  invited." 

"  They  certainly  deserve  it." 

"  You  had  to  keep  up  your  reputation,  I  suppose. 
But  it  clashed  with  the  wine  and  the  cakes." 

"  You  must  have  been  grateful  for  the  way  they  re 
jected  my  philosophy." 

"  Was  it  philosophy  ?  "  laughed  the  poet.  "  I  didn't 
think  you  took  it  with  such  seriousness." 


142  WORSHIPPERS 

"  Good  heavens  !  What  a  man  you  are  turning  into  ! 
How  many  weeks  have  you  been  among  us  ?  I  know 
you  did  not  have  much  wine." 

"  Perhaps  you  have  gained  a  disciple." 

"  You  called  my  philosophy  garbled  a  minute  ago." 

And  so  the  banter  continued.  The  doctor  finally  dis 
cerned  that  it  covered  uneasiness  in  the  poet,  and  he 
spoke  of  the  people  they  were  likely  to  encounter  at  the 
club,  incidentally  mentioning  Katherine  Bronski. 

"  Surely  she  will  not  stay  until  morning  !  "  said  Ramaa 
"  Oh,  I  forgot  her  husband  would  be  present." 

"  He  won't." 

"  But  for  her  to  go  home  at  that  hour — " 

"  Accompanied  by  a  man  ?  It  is  nothing.  Perhaps 
the  duty  will  fall  on  us." 

Raman  was  displeased  with  the  abrupt  termination  of 
the  walk. 

"  Are  we  not  too  early  ? "  he  asked. 

"  Not  at  all." 

The  hum  of  voices  carried  through  the  windows  af 
fected  the  poet  strangely  for  a  moment  as  they  stopped 
before  the  quarters  of  the  club. 

"  The  place  must  be  packed,"  said  Hindman  ;  and  led 
the  way  through  an  entry  into  a  large  room  heavy  with 
tobacco  smoke. 

They  were  greeted  with  a  shout.  A  man  rushed  for 
ward,  and  relieved  them  of  their  overcoats  and  hats. 

At  the  end  of  a  long  table  stood  a  samovar  from  which 
hot  water  was  drawn  for  tea  by  two  ladies  who  chattered 
incessantly  while  they  served  the  many  crowding  into 
that  corner  of  the  room. 

The  assemblage  interested  Raman,  who  was  not  sur 
prised  to  find  a  goodly  number  of  the  women  belonging 
to  the  dental  and  medical  professions.  All  present 


WORSHIPPERS  143 

seemed  to  be  conversant  with  Russian  which  was  spoken 
in  preference  to  any  other  tongue.  Few  were  markedly 
Jewish  in  appearance,  except  for  the  suggestion  of  race- 
shrewdness  about  the  eyes.  The  conservatives,  who 
were  a  small  minority,  steered  clear  of  certain  topics  in 
discussion. 

Raman  and  the  doctor  had  found  glasses  of  tea  await 
ing  them  ;  and  the  poet  shook  hands  as  far  as  he  could 
reach  from  his  place  at  the  table  while  an  assortment  of 
names  was  thrust  upon  his  memory.  Katherine  Bronski 
passed  him  the  sugar  when  he  extended  his  hand  towards 
her,  and  he  tried  to  smile.  He  was  drawn  into  conver 
sation  by  his  neighbor,  a  dark  little  woman  who  discussed 
Socialist  tactics  with  great  earnestness,  and  took  him  to 
task  for  suspected  heresies. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  N  st  appeared ;  and  after  bowing  pro 
foundly  in  several  ections,  separated,  the  lady  going 
to  Raman.  She  ±14 aired  minutely  after  his  health,  and 
declared  herself  pleased  with  his  presence.  "  We  needed 
a  poet  for  such  an  occasion,"  she  said  gravely. 

Then  leaning  over  Katherine' s  chair,  she  kissed  her  on 
both  cheeks,  and  told  her  that  she  was  unusually  beautiful. 

A  lawyer,  one  of  the  successful  men  of  the  commu 
nity,  tall,  rotund,  bald,  approached  Raman,  and  greeted 
him  with  a  heavy  discharge  of  English.  He  said  in  part, 
"  I  have  become  estranged,  I  regret  to  say,  from  the 
Yiddish  art-world  in  the  press  of  professional  duties." 

Laughter  nearby  clashed  with  the  pose  of  the  success 
ful  attorney.  Raman  allowed  him  to  have  the  lion's 
share  of  the  conversation  ;  but  despite  this,  the  impres 
sion  the  New  Yorker  produced  was  not  favorable ;  and 
when  the  lawyer  returned  to  some  of  his  friends,  he  ap 
prised  them  that  the  poet  "  was  a  man  of  the  pen  rather 
than  of  the  tongue." 


144  WORSHIPPERS 

Miss  Rovno  made  haste  to  seek  out  Raman.  She 
chatted  gayly,  studiously  avoiding  Katherine's  eyes,  and 
the  poet  wondered  at  her  animation,  little  aware  that  it 
was  assumed. 

The  hubbub  in  the  room  was  stilled  by  calls  of- 
"  Hush  !  Hush  !  " 

Robinson  had  gone  to  the  piano.  Several  suggested 
the  selection  in  the  Schubert  album  which  would  be  most 
to  their  taste.  They  compromised  on  the  Serenade. 
Then  he  turned  the  pages  to  the  "  Doppelganger,"  and 
prefaced  its  rendering  with  an  appeal  for  close  attention. 
"  It  is  difficult  to  understand,"  he  warned  them. 

Evidently  they  "understood,"  for  the  applause  was 
hearty. 

"  What  a  pleasure  to  accompany  you,  Mr.  Robinson  !  " 
cried  Mrs.  Nast,  turning  about  slowly  on  the  stool. 

"  What  a  pleasure  to  sing  to  your  accompaniment ! " 
he  said  with  a  very  low  bow,  his  hand  on  his  heart. 

Mrs.  Nast  frowned  down  the  laughter. 

Instead  of  calling  upon  her  to  add  to  the  evening's 
entertainment,  they  turned  to  Katherine  Bronski. 
Strangely  generous,  she  did  not  cease  until  the  third 
round  of  applause. 

Then  the  successful  attorney  took  charge  of  affairs, 
and  made  a  lengthy  speech  in  which  he  congratulated 
the  club  on  its  ability  to  gather  so  much  of  culture  under 
one  roof.  He  finished  by  asking  Dr.  Hindman  if  he  had 
not  "  words  of  greeting  for  the  incoming  year  ? " 

The  doctor  attempted  some  jests  at  the  expense  of  the 
speaker.  But  the  audience  expected  more  of  the  man 
who  had  at  one  time  stood  high  in  the  estimation  of  the 
Jewish  communities  of  two  great  cities. 

"  Be  serious,"  urged  one  of  his  friends. 

"All  right!"    he  cried,  putting  his  head  back,   and 


WORSHIPPERS  145 

squaring  his  shoulders.  Without  hesitation  he  began  to 
flay  his  audience  unmercifully,  growing  more  and  more 
sarcastic  as  he  proceeded,  until  they  wriggled  restlessly 
and  protested  in  low  murmurs. 

Then  with  blazing  eyes  he  began  to  pass  upon  the  "  ab 
surdities  of  our  lying  society,"  laughing  at  its  preten 
sions,  mocking  its  efforts,  and  picking  its  morality  to 
pieces  ;  and  he  sneered  at  his  hearers  for  their  acquies 
cence  in  what  they  feigned  to  despise. 

Ceasing  suddenly,  he  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  took 
his  seat. 

There  was  painful  silence.  Several  cleared  their 
throats,  but  they  failed  to  get  to  their  feet. 

At  last  the  lawyer  who  was  master  of  ceremonies 
arose,  and  began  in  bland  tones : 

"  After  the  anarchy  of  thought  to  which  we  listened  so 
carefully  in  our  desire  to  do  Dr.  Hindman  the  fullest 
justice,  I  propose  to — " 

"  I  beg  your  pardon  ! "  cried  Hindman,  springing 
to  his  feet.  "  When  I  followed  you  did  I  say,  '  After 
the  absurdity  of  thought  to  which  we  listened  so  impa 
tiently — '  " 

"  I  beg  your  pardon  !  "  interrupted  the  lawyer  angrily. 

"  I  excuse  you ;  only  I  do  not  want  you  to  translate 
my  analysis  of  the  motives  of  those  who  make  up  our 
so-called  civilization  in  terms  of  your  own." 

"  What  would  you  prefer  ?  "  sneered  the  lawyer. 

"  That  you  either  oppose  what  I  said  by  reasonable 
argument ;  or  leave  me  alone." 

"  Since  I  do  not  care  to  debate  a  topic  of  that  magni 
tude  on  an  occasion  like  this  evening,  I  will  ignore  it." 
And  turning  to  the  others,  the  lawyer  went  on,  "  If  we 
are  to  make  selection  of  any  man  to  answer  pessimism 
with  optimism,  our  choice  would  fall  upon  one  who  has 


146  WORSHIPPERS 

won  his  laurels  in  the  field  of  letters."  He  continued  in 
the  same  strain  until  he  decided  to  close  with,  "  And  my 
references  are  to  Mr.  Alexander  Raman,  erstwhile  resi 
dent  of  New  York." 

The  applause  was  hearty. 

Raman  began  by  saying  : 

"  I  will  hardly  attempt  to  solve  great  problems  for 
you  to-night,  for,  to  begin  with,  I  am  only  armed  with 
a  little  poem  which  was  written  for  the  occasion,  and 
which,  perhaps,  will  serve  as  a  test  of  your  patience."  All 
were  delighted.  "  And  if  I  say  anything  in  addition,  it 
will  not  be  in  any  argumentative  spirit,  believe  me.  At 
most  call  it  my  guess." 

When  he  had  finished  reading  the  poem,  there  was 
more  applause,  and  cries  of,  "  Bravo  !  Bravo  !  " 

He  put  the  bit  of  paper  aside,  and  spoke  of  the  no 
bility  of  sincere  effort,  of  the  futility  of  the  destructive 
spirit,  and  of  the  bond  between  those  who  find  purpose 
in  their  ordering  of  life  and  exalt  that  purpose,  and  those 
who  wish  to  face  life  bravely. 

Softly  he  touched  on  the  seeking  after  truth,  the 
struggle,  grief,  and  helplessness  of  the  average  man  in 
his  groping,  and  the  need  of  ready  hearts  and  courageous 
voices  to  make  life  bearable.  And  moved  by  the 
thoughts  that  exacted  expression,  his  words  came  like  a 
torrent,  breaking  down  all  prejudices,  and  wiping  out  the 
pasts  of  many,  so  that  they  listened  with  youthful  eager 
ness. 

The  message  had  come  to  them  in  days  gone,  but  not 
with  the  same  appeal.  Deathly  stillness  reigned  in  the 
room,  except  for  some  chance  clink  of  spoon  against  glass. 
The  man  before  them,  pale  with  emotion,  seemed  a  channel 
for  the  expression  of  their  dreams  and  longings.  And 
as  he  finished  by  taking  them  in  imagination  over  the 


WORSHIPPERS  147 

world  to  show  them  how  much  they  were  part  and  par 
cel  of  it,  they  leaned  forward  hungrily,  some  with  eyes 
closed  and  head  bent  low. 

When  he  turned  away,  wiping  the  perspiration  from 
his  forehead,  they  started  up  and  then  their  hands  sought 
each  other  in  applause. 

Whispers  flew  back  and  forth.  Even  Hindman 
glanced  sidelong  at  the  poet  with  softened  eyes.  Many 
came  forward  to  shake  the  New  Yorker's  hand, 
among  them  Katherine,  who  said,  "I  thank  you,  my 
friend." 

The  general  thought  was  that  the  evening  would  not 
be  soon  forgotten. 

It  required  a  considerable  interval  for  the  extinguished 
mirth  to  gain  the  ascendency.  When  it  did  so,  right 
merrily  did  the  men  and  women  give  reign  to  the  careless 
mood.  Songs  without  number  were  heard,  discussions 
without  number;  and  incomplete  logic  dealt  riotously 
with  idealism,  and  over-frankly  with  materialism. 

Raman  sat  silent  for  some  time,  often  warmed  by  a 
chance  expression  that  was  poetic  truth.  He  was  thank 
ful  for  the  averted  face  of  Katherine  who  seemed  preoc 
cupied. 

Russian  melodies — their  plaintiveness  carrying  many 
back  to  their  youth  curious  as  to  world  and  deed — found 
him  one  of  the  singers. 

And  so  hour  after  hour  went  by,  a  few  of  the  mem 
bers  braving  public  contempt  by  taking  themselves 
off. 

Raman  found  a  seat  beside  Katherine. 
"  I  suppose  Mr.  Bronski  is  sleeping  the  sleep  of  the 
just,"  he  began. 

"  Yes.  He  has  little  inclination  to  see  the  sun  rise. 
You  really  like  what  is  going  on  about  you  ? " 


148  WORSHIPPERS 

"  Very  much.  Notice  how  the  place  seems  brighter 
with  all  these  good  people  indifferent  to  the  thousand 
things  that  estrange  human  kind." 

"Ah,  yes.  They  are  very  forgiving  to-night.  To 
morrow  they  will  not  be  the  same  individuals,  they  who 
have  known  life  intimately,  and  yet  bend  the  head." 
Her  contempt  was  touched  with  sadness. 

"  They  must  return  to  it,"  he  said  softly. 

"  They  will  return  to  it,"  echoed  the  woman. 

A  thrill  went  through  the  man,  and  he  said,  almost 
sharply  : 

"  How  fast  they  must  be  approaching  the  point  in  life 
which  means  fixity  !  " 

"  There  is  such  a  point  ?  "  she  asked  in  the  quietest  of 
tones. 

He  glanced  at  her  face ;  but  she  kept  her  eyelids 
lowered. 

"  Yes,"  he  answered,  "  there  is  such  a  point.  Once 
reached,  we  accept  everything.  Conditions  and  preju 
dices  fit  us  just  right.  And  we  meet  idealism  with  an, 
'  Ah,  yes  !  I  know  ! ' — and  smile." 

"  Surely  the  maker  of  art  is  exempt !  "  said  the  woman, 
unsteadily. 

"  Not  always.  A  few  have  managed  to  keep  growing. 
But  as  a  rule  one  does  not  start  at  the  great  shadows  as 
the  years  go  by." 

"  To  be  old,  then,"  she  said  with  an  unexpected  smile, 
"  is  to  be  stupid,  eh  ?  " 

"  You  forget  in  how  many  new  ways  old  views  can  be 
put.  It  is  very  satisfying — I  should  imagine.  But  I  am 
saddening  you." 

"  What  if  so  ?  Why  should  we  be  afraid  of  the  truth  ? 
It  is  only  a  child  that  is  frightened  easily.  Is  that  song 
not  beautiful  ? " 


WORSHIPPERS  149 

Robinson  was  giving  the  "  Prize  Song "  from  the 
"  Meistersinger." 

She  added,  "  It  is  the  moment  that  makes  the  song. 
Just  as  on  the  stage  one  trembles  as  grand  lines  are  ap 
proached." 

"  I  know,"  he  said  simply. 

Suddenly  she  asked  in  a  low  voice  : 

"  Listen :  why  do  you  not  come  to  see  us  ?  " 

"  You  will  not  accept  any  excuse  seriously  ? " 

"  As  you  wish.  I  have  noticed  that  your  work  of  late 
has  improved.  Is  it  the  quiet  ?  " 

"I  think  so.  During  the  last  few  days  I  have  done 
some  verse  in  English.  I  want  to  show  them  to  you." 

"  Ah  !  Thank  you ! "  Her  delight  was  sweet  to  him, 
though  he  trembled  a  little. 

He  called  her  attention  to  Hindman.  "  See  how  he 
has  forgotten  himself.  And  many  believe  they  under 
stand  him !  " 

The  doctor  was  chatting  gayly  to  Miss  Rovno,  and 
had  as  audience  several  ladies  who  basked  in  the  sun 
shine  of  his  rare  mood.  Laughter  often  came  from  the 
group,  like  others  in  its  abandon. 

Eyes  lacked  lustre  as  the  morning  approached.  And 
soon  soft  conversation  ruled  ;  except  where  a  little,  black- 
haired,  bespectacled  fellow  sang  for  his  own  amusement 
the  Cavatina  from  "  Faust  "  as  an  introduction  to  unkind 
remarks  about  the  Wagner  school  of  music.  The  ma 
jority  were  impatiently  awaiting  the  glow  on  the  horizon 
which  would  herald  the  sunrise  and  their  release. 

At  last  the  rosy  tint  appeared,  hardly  marked  enough, 
but  sufficient  to  send  every  person  in  a  rush  for  hats  and 
coats.  Then  like  a  troop  of  children  they  piled  merrily 
out  of  the  house,  and  took  the  nearest  way  home. 

The  arc   lights  were  paling  ;  a  few  wagons   crawled 


150  WORSHIPPERS 

along  the  street  rails ;  cars  appeared  with  greater  fre 
quency,  though  with  decreased  speed  ;  and  here  and 
there  shutters  were  flung  open. 

"  Dr.  Hindman  and  Mr.  Raman,  yours  shall  be  the 
duty  of  taking  Mrs.  Bronski  home,"  Mrs.  Nast  announced 
as  she  and  her  husband  were  about  to  turn  off  in  another 
direction. 

"  A  pleasant  duty,"  Hindman  said  with  a  smile.  "  I 
suppose  Mr.  Raman  agrees  with  me." 

"  We  have  forgotten  to  ask,"  the  poet  reminded  them, 
"whether  Mrs.  Bronski  will  consider  it  pleasant." 

"Mrs.  Bronski,"  said  that  lady,  "has  not  one  objection 
to  offer  ;  only  her  thanks  for  your  kindness." 

She  kissed  Mrs.  Nast  warmly,  and  departed  with  the 
two  men. 

"  I  think,"  said  Mrs.  Nast  to  her  sleepy  spouse,  "  that 
Katherine  Bronski  has  changed  lately.  She  is  so 
gloomy." 

'•  Yes  ? " 

"  She  is  so  ambitious." 

"  Yes  ? " 

Mrs.  Nast  sighed,  and  was  silent  under  her  burden  of 
thought. 

The  object  of  her  commiseration  was  saying  : 

"  The  neighborhood  will  wonder  at  the  freak  of  coming 
home  at  daylight." 

"  Of  course  you  care,"  said  Hindman  mischievously. 

"  Oh,  I  was  considerate  only  of  your  feelings." 

They  laughed  ;   but  Katherine  colored. 

She  let  herself  in  with  a  key  after  thanking  both  men 
with  pointed  quietness  as  if  to  place  the  night's  doings  in 
an  absurd  light. 

The  men  were  silent  when  they  went  down  the  street. 
Suddenly  Hindman  laughed. 


WORSHIPPERS  151 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  asked  the  poet. 

"  I  was  thinking  what  a  picture  Bronski  must  make 
snoring  in  bed.  Wouldn't  you  like  a  glimpse  of  him  ?  " 

"  Don't  be  a  fool,"  came  shortly. 

"  Which  of  us  is  the  bigger  fool,  do  you  think?  " 

"What  has  gotten  over  you  ? "  asked  Raman,  looking 
at  him  in  amazement. 

"  Nothing.  How  far  do  you  intend  to  go  in  this  af 
fair  ? " 

"  What  are  you  talking  about  ?  "  Raman's  show  of 
indignation  was  pitiful. 

"  You  are  certainly  losing  your  balance ;  very  plainly 
so." 

"  Was  it  apparent  ? "  asked  the  poet,  speaking  calmly 
now. 

"  Only  to  me,  I  suppose  ;  for  I  was  bent  on  enjoying 
my  evening.  And,  again,  who  would  doubt  you,  Ethical 
Being?"  The  other's  silence  made  him  serious.  "It's 
not  my  business,  I  suppose.  You  ought  to  know  what 
you  are  doing." 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  have  done  anything." 

"  Or  that  you  are  likely  to  do  so  ?  Then  go  back  to 
New  York  this  morning.  You  can  pack  your  belongings 
in  a  couple  of  hours." 

Raman  looked  at  him  with  a  sad  smile. 

"  It  is  you  who  are  the  Ethical  Being,"  he  said. 

"  Well,"  growled  Hindman,  "  I  never  saw  three  months 
work  a  quicker  change  with  any  man  than  it  has  done 
with  you.  I  suppose  it  is  too  late  to  go  back." 

And  the  doctor  smiled  when  he  caught  sight  of  tears 
in  the  other  man's  eyes  ;  and  thought,  "  Well,  there  will 
be  an  end  to  one  sort  of  preaching,  anyhow." 


152  WORSHIPPERS 


CHAPTER  XIII 

WITH  what  appeared  an  effort,  Raman,  after 
putting  on  his  coat,  took  up  the  papers  lying 
on  his  table,  and  thrust  them  hurriedly  into 
his  pocket.  The  next  moment  he  had  sunk  into  a  seat, 
and  was  staring  with  wide-open  eyes  before  him. 

The  array  of  books  seemed  foreign  to  his  thoughts  : 
too  cold  for  the  overmastering  emotions  ;  too  calm  for 
his  weakness. 

He  groaned,  and  covered  his  face  with  his  hands.  But 
the  struggle  was  brief.  Springing  to  his  feet  he  struck 
the  table  a  resounding  blow ;  and  then  dealt  with  the 
invisible  host  of  disputants  thus : 

"  There  has  come  the  hour  when  I  stand  entirely  iso 
lated,  accepting  and  rejecting  deed  with  complete  inde 
pendence  of  what  has  gone  before.  Either  I  must  be  in 
complete  harmony  with  what  I  now  see  to  be  the  truth, 
or  from  this  day  accept  the  ordinary  double  role  as  suit 
able  to  myself.  You  tell  me  it  is  immoral  ?  I  answer 
that  the  happiness  of  two  individuals  is  placed  in  the 
scales  against  that  of  one ;  the  soul  of  a  young  woman 
against  the  lust  of  an  old  man  ;  my  love  against  his 
lust."  And  so  he  went  on,  feeling  that  he  was  breaking 
down  all  obstacles,  that  he  was  answering  facts  with 
facts. 

"  The  hour  when  we  stand  completely  isolated,"  he 
repeated,  thinking  of  the  woman's  position  rather  than 
of  his  own  ;  and  wrung  his  hands  wearily. 


WORSHIPPERS  153 

He  almost  crept  through  the  streets,  where  the  snow 
was  being  turned  into  puddles  by  the  afternoon  sun.  A 
swiftly-moving  horse  sent  a  shower  of  mud  in  his  direc 
tion.  He  was  not  quick  enough  to  escape  it  all ;  and 
the  incident  brought  laughter  from  some  children  nearby. 
He  smiled  at  them.  Then  he  made  the  parallel :  "  The 
opposition  press.  The  mud  throwing  will  amuse  other 
poor  children — the  ignorant  readers." 

Before  he  reached  his  destination  he  had  halted  twice  ; 
only  to  go  on,  bitter  against  the  indecision  which  seemed 
to  mock  him.  Once  the  admission  escaped  his  lips  that 
if  he  were  to  meet  Hindman,  it  would  suffice  to  start 
him  on  his  way  to  New  York. 

The  door  was  opened  by  Katherine.  Her  flush  found 
its  answer  in  the  paling  of  his  cheek,  which  she  saw  with 
a  strange  throb  of  the  heart.  She  expressed  neither 
pleasure  nor  surprise  at  his  visit. 

"  Uncomfortably  chilly,"  he  said  when  he  was  dispos 
ing  of  his  overcoat  and  hat. 

"  Only  a  few  more  months  of  it,"  she  replied  unsteadily. 

"  You  should  have  thrown  on  a  shawl  when  you  went 
to  the  door,"  he  said  turning  to  her. 

She  caught  her  breath  ;  and  murmured :  "  You  feel 
the  chill  ?  The  heater  is  not  working  well.  It  is  warmer 
in  the  dining  room."  She  led  the  way  to  it.  "  I  was 
busy  to-day  owing  to  a  new  role  :  cook  !  My  girl  has 
deserted  me.  But  that  will  not  prevent  tea  being  ready 
in  a  few  moments." 

"  I  did  not  know  that  you  were  fashionable  enough  to 
have  trouble  with  servants."  His  laugh  was  stifled  by 
the  suspicion  that  she  had  purposely  gotten  rid  of  the 
girl ;  and  he  found  that  he  could  not  muster  enough 
self-command  to  sit  upright  in  his  chair. 

She  talked  briskly  as  she  moved  about  to  place  the 


154  WORSHIPPERS 

glasses  for  tea ;  but  the  trembling  of  her  hands  did  not 
escape  him.  A  tremor  shot  through  his  body.  The 
next  instant  he  was  entirely  at  ease. 

Tea  was  set  before  him. 

"  What  of  your  sun-worship  ?  "  she  laughed  as  she 
drew  up  a  chair  so  that  they  were  face  to  face.  "  Have 
you  entirely  recovered  from  its  effects  ?  " 

"  Easily.  Though  it  was  quite  a  ceremony  ;  quite  a 
ceremony.  Patient  worshippers,  too." 

"  At  least  we  were  certain  of  the  sunshine,"  she  said. 
"  I  suppose  you  spent  a  pleasant  evening." 

"  A  very  pleasant  one." 

"  You  reminded  them  of  the  time  when  like  children 
they  reached  out  for  the  sun.  They  will  try  to  convince 
us  now  that  it  was  enough  to  have  aspired.  But,  my 
friend,  you  will  pardon  me  if  I  say  that  outside  of  the 
momentary  pleasure  they  derived  from  the  talk  you  gave 
them,  they  carried  away  nothing.  How  could  they  ? 
Their  lives  are  full  of  struggle  and  quarrel  and  sordid- 
ness.  It  is  just  that  which  numbs  one.  You  say  the 
world  never  had  bigger  aspirations  for  the  average  man  ; 
but  see  how  quickly  the  people,  after  enjoying  the  beau 
tiful,  forget  it." 

"  You  are  scolding,"  he  said  softly. 

"  Oh,  I  cannot  praise  !  I  cannot !  What  can  I  say 
in  their  favor  ?  You  may  ask  me  why  I  care  to  meet 
them.  Mind  you  " — it  was  like  a  cry — "  I  do  not  say 
I  am  better.  I  cannot  say  it.  But — but  I  cannot  ac 
quiesce." 

He  was  quiet  for  a  space.  She  watched  his  lowered 
eyes  with  hungry  gaze.  He  broke  the  silence  by  saying : 

"  You  must  strive  to  reconcile  yourself  with  the  part 
that  has  been  assigned  to  you  " — But  she  cut  him  short 
with : 


WORSHIPPERS  155 

"  Do  not  counsel  thus,  for  I  would  not  believe  you  so 
unkind."  Bitterness  marked  her  tone  as  she  went  on. 
"  Suppose  you  had  never  emancipated  yourself  from  the 
machine.  Can  you  see  how  you  would  be  eating  your 
heart  out  ?  What  would  you  have  said  to  one  who  coun 
selled  patience  ?  Why,  it  is  just  what  you  detest  in  the 
men  who  defend  the  present  system.  But  that  " — with 
a  smile — "  is  not  the  business  of  to-day.  You  were  to 
bring  the  poems." 

"  I  have  brought  them."  He  was  thankful  for  her 
display  of  self-command. 

The  neatly-penned  pages  were  laid  before  her ;  and 
then  he  sat  with  crossed  arms,  his  interest  not  centered 
on  the  poems. 

As  he  listened  to  the  words  falling  from  her  lips,  in 
decision  took  wings,  and  he  looked  lovingly  at  the 
woman.  She  did  not  lift  her  eyes  from  the  pages  as 
she  read  and  commented.  He  realized  that  not  alone  he 
was  touched  with  fear. 

When  she  looked  at  him,  her  composure  was  shaken ; 
but  she  managed  to  say,  "  On  the  whole  it  is  good,  and — 
and  brimful  of  thought." 

"  Yes,  but  it  lacks  music  and  color.  That  is  bought 
only  by  time." 

"  A  better  beginning  could  not  be  asked  for."  And 
she  went  on  to  point  out  the  strong  lines,  discovering 
beauties  in  phrase  and  structure  that  he  had  overlooked, 
and  praising  the  work,  until  he  cried : 

"  Oh,  you  overrate  !  " 

"  No  !  No  !  You  doubt  its  value  because  you  have  been 
polishing  it.  A  glorious  beginning  !  Go  on  with  this.  I 
wonder  whether  you  have  ambition  enough.  I  wonder." 
She  was  studying  him. 

"  Ambition  ?     To  do  good  work  ?     As  you  see." 


156  WORSHIPPERS 

"  No  !  No !  To  stand  so  high  that  you  will  have  all 
eyes  raised  to  you !  So  high  that  many  will  come  to 
speak  your  name  with  reverence  !  So  high  that  you  will 
be  a  power  !  " 

"  I  could  never  deceive  myself.  I  assure  you  I  am 
very  mortal,  and  cannot  pose." 

"  To  tower  to  pose  !     What  would  satisfy  you  ?  " 

"  Friends  who  will  say,  '  That  was  what  I  wanted  ! ' 
Can  you  think  of  recognition  that  would  be  greater  ?  " 

"  I  will  not  quarrel  with  you,"  she  sighed.  "  Yet  I 
hesitate  to  touch  upon  any  other  thing.  This  is  vital. 
Of  course  you  are  doing  your  work  as  well  as  you  can. 
And  you  realize  how  your  friends  eagerly  await  every 
thing  that  comes  from  your  pen.  If  that  is  what,  you 
wish,  then  I  can  only  cry, «  Happy  man  ! ' " 

She  studied  her  interlocked  fingers  with  dreaming 
eyes,  and  almost  whispered  the  words,  "  I  see  more  and 
more  how  a  little  success  would  have  opened  new  worlds 
for  me.  It  is  the  key  to  many  things." 

"  Do  not  be  deceived  by  the  value  of  the  rewards  of 
a  matter-of-fact  world,"  he  warned  her. 

"  Ah,  but  otherwise  we  feel  walls  of  iron  closing  in 
upon  us  ;  and  the  world  cramps  one's  soul.  I  once  heard 
somebody  say  that  success  was  bought  at  the  expense  of 
the  spirit.  As  well  put  it  that  life  is  a  sacrifice  to  the 
glories  of  the  next  world." 

"  Your  happiness  is  the  first  consideration,"  he  mur 
mured. 

"  Ah,  no  doubt  you  set  me  down  long  ago  as  the  saddest 
woman  you  have  met." 

"  I  can  add  nothing  to  your  life.     I  would  if  I  could." 

"  You  know  that  I  will  talk  in  this  strain,"  she  said 
brokenly,  "  and  yet  you  bear  with  me,  and  come  here. 
You  ought  not.  You  ought  not.  It  is  wrong  of  me." 


WORSHIPPERS  157 

"  I  had  to  come  here,"  he  said  bluntly.  Then  his 
words  were  like  a  torrent.  "  Do  you  think  I  am  given 
only  to  my  work  ?  That  I  care  for  nothing  else  ?  As 
for  your  ambition — you  are  bitter  against  life  as  a  whole 
because — because — Oh,  must  we  trifle  ?  Do  you  not 
understand  ? " 

His  hand  seized  hers  insistently.     He  bent  forward. 

"  I  understand,"  she  said,  making  no  effort  to  with 
draw  the  fingers  he  crushed. 

He  suddenly  moaned,  and  his  head  fell  on  his  breast. 

"  And  now — "  he  said  helplessly. 

"  And  now,  Alexander — " 

"  Ah,  I  knew,  Katherine,  that  this  would  happen  if  I 
took  advantage  of  our  being  thrown  together.  I  real 
ized  what  it  meant.  Ah,  how  I  fought ! — for  your 
sake,  dearest.  But  I  have  lost." 

She  held  his  hand  between  both  of  hers,  and  spoke 
caressingly,  though  impatient  with  the  struggle  going 
on  within  him  : 

"  Why  stop  to  question  ?  It  all  knows  no  logic  ex 
cept  the  honesty  of  our  feelings  towards  one  another. 
What  would  it  have  meant  had  you  won  ?  " 

And  leaning  forward,  she  pressed  his  hand  against 
her  cheek. 

"  How  brutally  I  have  stepped  into  your  life  !  "  he  man 
aged  to  say. 

She  shook  her  head  ;  and  told  him  sobbingly  : 

"  Before  you  came  I  was  as  blind.  Despair  did  not 
allow  me  to  lift  the  veil.  You — you  made  my  lying  life 
almost  drive  me  mad.  This  had  to  be,  or — Oh,  I  fear 
to  think  of  it !  How  I  have  been  punished,  dearest,  for 
those  years ! " 

"  Horribly  punished.  Part  of  our  task  will  be  to  ob 
literate  the  memory  of  the  past." 


158  WORSHIPPERS 

"  Yes,"  she  repeated,  "  you  were  my  awakening.  It 
seems  as  if  you  were  destined  to  appear  on  the  scene." 
She  went  on  quickly  to  strengthen  his  position  :  "  The 
man  I  took  to  myself  never  dared  face  the  issue.  At  no 
time  did  he  think  of  putting  questions  so  I  could  have 
explained  my  coldness  towards  him.  So  I  have  gone  on 
and  on — " 

"  Tell  me  what  I  should  do  now,"  he  said  to  halt  the 
painful  details. 

"  Take  me  with  you — anywhere.  Let  us  make  a  home. 
For  me  it  will  be  a  fresh  start  in  life.  Oh,  I  will  dare 
look  people  in  the  face  once  more !  You  believe  in 
me?" 

"  I  love  you ! " 

"  I  do  not  falter.  And  I  am  not  a  girl  swayed  by 
chance  impulse,  Alexander." 

He  leaned  forward  and  kissed  her  passionately  as  if 
to  seal  the  bargain. 

For  a  moment  she  trembled  slightly,  while  the  blood 
swept  over  her  body.  Then  her  breath  came  in  short 
gasps.  But  she  gathered  herself  together,  and  opening 
her  eyes,  looked  at  him  with  a  smile. 

"  How  beautiful  you  are  !  "  he  cried. 
•  "  Let  us  return  to  the  poems,"  she  said  hastily.    "  You 
will  have  to  bear  with  my  criticism  now." 


WORSHIPPERS  159 


CHAPTER  XIV 

DAVID  BRONSKI  closed  the  door  of  the  drug-store 
rather  too  slowly  for  his  assistant  who  shivered 
in  the  blast  of  icy  air.     The  bent  form  shuffled 
down  the  street,  muttering : 

"  She's  too  gloomy,  too  gloomy.  It's  too  bad.  It's 
too  bad." 

Then  Bronski  asked  himself,  "Why  should  she  not 
try  again  ?  It  will  occupy  her  mind  ;  and  a  few  weeks 
among  friends  in  New  York  will  help  her.  Unusually 
gloomy.  She  was  hesitating  to  leave  me.  But  she  must 
be  packing  her  trunk  for  that  purpose,  and  will  most  likely 
speak  of  it  to-day.  She  is  sure  I  will  let  her  go.  She 
will  ask  me,  of  course.  Ah,  my !  I  must  let  her  go." 

He  sighed. 

"  Yes,  yes.  Let  her  go.  Her  gloom  is  painful.  She 
can  no  longer  hide  it.  If  she  fails  to  get  a  place — ?  Too 
bad.  She  ought  to  succeed.  Was  anyone  ever  kept 
down  in  that  way  ?  It  is  criminal  !  What  a  cruel  world ! 
What  a  cruel  world !  It's  only  a  Raman  that  always 
finds  an  excuse  for  it.  She  has  grown  pale  of  late.  She 
must  get  out  more.  She  must  not  brood." 

And  he  threw  himself  into  the  dreams  of  the  woman 
whose  hopes  he  had  shared  so  long.  In  answer  to  one 
doubt,  he  refused  to  believe  that  her  success  would  be 
his  loss.  She  would  not  be  so  lacking  in  gratitude.  He 
had  made  her  what  she  was,  had  given  the  girl  a  chance 
to  become  a  cultured  woman,  had  provided  a  home,  friends, 


160  WORSHIPPERS 

books — .  Of  course,  there  was  her  ambition.  But  in 
time — !  And  she  had  prayed  so  fervently  for  success 
that  he  longed  for  it  as  if  the  gain  would  have  been  all 
his. 

As  he  turned  into  the  quiet  street  he  said,  "  Why  does 
not  anyone  come  this  year  ?  I  shall  advise  her  to  get 
up  reading  circles.  That  will  bring  them  !  Fortunately, 
now  the  girl's  gone,  her  mind  is  partly  on  her  housework. 
She  should  have  more  to  do.  They  do  not  appreciate 
her  enough  here." 

He  was  not  surprised  to  find  the  shutters  of  the  house 
closed ;  but  as  he  threw  open  the  dining-room  door  to  be 
better  able  to  dispose  of  his  hat  and  coat  on  the  rack,  he 
stared  at  the  jet  of  gas  burning  brightly. 

"  Called  away  suddenly,"  he  conjectured.  The  after 
thought  was :  "  She  might  have  telephoned  me.  Per 
haps—" 

He  went  to  the  foot  of  the  stairs  and  called  her  name 
loudly.  There  was  no  answer. 

He  was  troubled,  and  murmured,  "  It  is  odd  !  It  is 
odd  ! "  Returning  to  the  dining  room,  he  glanced 
towards  the  table  for  a  note.  "  Yes,  she — but — "  he 
stammered,  and  broke  off. 

Before  him  lay  an  envelope  addressed  to  him  in  her 
hand. 

"  Perhaps  she  was  shy  of  asking  me  for  permission  to 
go  to  New  York,"  he  explained.  And  putting  on  his 
spectacles,  he  opened  the  envelope.  The  note  paper  was 
covered  with  a  great  deal  of  writing.  A  tremor  of  fright 
shot  through  the  man.  He  read  : 

"  David, 

"  What  you  will  see  here  may  be  strange  to  you  ; 
and  yet  if  you  have  not  expected  it,  you  have  been  blind. 


WORSHIPPERS  161 

Have  you  not  noticed  of  late  how  our  relations  were  dis 
gusting  me  ?  Did  it  escape  you  ?  Or  did  you  purposely 
refuse  to  see  it  ? 

"  I  think  we  were  wrong  in  assuming  that  we  could  be 
man  and  wife.  And  I  believe  the  world  condemned  us 
from  the  first.  If  it  were  honest,  ours  would  have  been 
severe  punishment.  But  I  did  not  need  the  world  to  tell 
me  that  I  stood  condemned.  My  conscience  had  no  need 
of  protest  from  without. 

"  What  was  to  be  the  result  ?  I  have  taken  a  step 
which  you  will — in  your  heart — accept  as  right.  I  re 
alized  at  last  that  I  must  be  free.  How  long  I  hesitated 
to  take  the  step  you  surely  know  :  you  should  have  seen. 
And  you  have  always  said  that  we  must  live  as  our  soul 
prompts  us. 

"  So  I  am  leaving  you.  I  will  hide  nothing ;  I  will  be 
honest,  because  you  will  only  be  the  more  pained  when 
you  discover  all  that  has  happened.  I  have  met  a  man 
whom  I  have  learnt  to  love, — using  the  word  in  the  sense 
that  I  have  found  a  kinship  for  him  I  have  never  known 
for  any  other  man.  It  is  with  Alexander  Raman  that  I 
have  gone. 

"  I  would  have  told  you  all  this  face  to  face  if  I  did  not 
fear  that  you  would  make  a  scene.  It  is  best  we  part 
good  friends.  I  bear  you  no  grudge  for  having  made 
bitter  some  of  my  best  years.  And  you  should  be  broad 
enough  to  look  at  my  action  in  the  right  light.  You 
must,  else  you  will  be  lying  to  yourself. 

"  We  live  our  lives  for  ourselves  after  all.  And  I  never 
found  the  complete  sympathy  for  you  I  might  have  had. 
Our  relations  were  unnatural.  I  was  stifling.  It  seemed 
that  with  time  I  must  go  mad. 

"  It  is  my  hope,  David,  that  our  future  will  be  better 
for  this  thing.  Why  cannot  it  be  ?  ...  " 

He  read  no  more.  The  words  blurred  before  his  eyes, 
and  his  heart  almost  stopped  beating  as  he  stared  at  the 
paper,  his  breath  suspended. 


162  WORSHIPPERS 

At  last  came  in  a  choked  voice,  "  Ah !  Ah  !  Ah ! " 
His  fingers  clutched  each  other  with  crushing  force. 

Though  the  outer  sense  was  stupefied,  his  brain  worked 
madly,  grasping  the  incidents,  righting  them,  ordering 
them ;  until  they  stood  out  sharply,  clearly — with  mad 
dening  clearness. 

He  straightened  up,  the  sobs  ringing  in  the  silent 
room ;  and  paced  the  floor  until  he  collapsed  in  a  chair. 

For  a  long  time  he  sat  with  his  head  on  his  breast  and 
eyes  closed ;  but  finally  reached  out  for  the  paper,  and 
reread  the  words  of  the  first  paragraph. 

"  How  was  it  possible  !  How  was  it  possible  ! "  was 
his  cry.  And  reason  had  to  examine  the  facts  anew. 

It  was  growing  cold  in  the  room ;  the  neglected  fur 
nace  gave  but  little  warmth.  As  he  sat  shivering,  pro 
found  pity  for  himself  seized  his  soul,  and  his  anger 
against  the  woman  was  soon  at  a  white  heat. 

"  I  was  blind.  I  did  not  see  it.  I  was  made  a  fool 
of.  With  him  !— " 

He  shook  with  fury.  He  cursed  the  woman.  And 
then  he  cried  like  a  child  that  is  hysterical  after  punish 
ment. 

The  facts  came  like  a  thunderclap  out  of  a  clear  sky 
to  the  community.  It  was  Bronski  himself  who  gave 
them  to  the  world,  explosively,  and  with  a  show  of  cour 
age  strange  to  that  shrinking  nature. 

In  a  twinkling  it  was  the  talk  of  everyone  who  knew 
or  had  heard  of  Raman  or  the  Bronskis.  A  few  com 
miserated  the  deserted  husband  ;  many  found  the  matter 
amusing  ;  many  were  silent. 

The  Goldmans  were  preparing  to  sit  down  to  dinner 
when  the  news  was  brought  them  by  the  younger  Gold 
man. 


WORSHIPPERS  163 

"  We  have  quite  a  scandal  here  now,"  he  announced. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  was  the  chorus. 

"  Mrs.  Bronski  has  run  away  with  Raman." 

"  Who  told  you  ? "  "  When  ?  "  "  How  is  it  possible  ? " 
"  Nonsense ! " 

The  last  came  from  Mrs.  Goldman.  A  red  spot  flamed 
in  each  of  her  cheeks. 

"  Who  told  me  ?  "  cried  the  merchant.  "  Everybody  ! 
I  thought  you  had  heard  of  it.  They  are  talking  about 
nothing  else.  I  would  not  have  expected  it  of  her." 

"  Why  not  ?  "  asked  his  wife  sneeringly. 

"  Well,  certainly  not  of  him." 

"  Bah  !  There's  your  high  and  mighty  man  ! "  Mrs. 
Goldman  lost  all  self-control  as  she  went  on.  "  A  per 
fect  man !  An  ideal  man  !  Like  Hindman  he  con 
sidered  us  not  good  enough.  I  don't  see  why  you  make 
such  a  fuss  if  you  want  a  husband  for  Jennie  !  There's 
many  a  poor  young  man  who  doesn't  walk  around  with 
his  head  high  in  the  air  because  he  has  remembered 
what  he  has  read  out  of  a  book.  Give  one  of  them  the 
thousands  you  want  to  spend  on  her."  She  continued 
in  this  strain,  all  listening  silently  while  she  berated  those 
whom  they  had  been  accustomed  to  respect. 

Suddenly  she  arose  from  the  table,  and  left  the  room. 

The  parents  of  Jennie  congratulated  themselves  be 
cause  Providence  had  intervened  in  behalf  of  their 
daughter. 

Dr.  Nast  had  been  startled  when  his  wife,  for  the  first 
time  in  her  life,  burst  in  upon  him  as  he  was  attending 
to  a  patient. 

"  I  want  to  see  you — downstairs,"  she  managed  to  get 
out. 

He  followed  her  down  to   the  parlor.     After  closing 


164  WORSHIPPERS 

all  the  doors,  she  turned  to  him,  and  announced  in 
staccato  tones : 

"  Katherine  Bronski  left  her  husband." 

"  Is  that  so  !  " 

"  It  is.  I  do  not  know  how  to  take  it."  Her  troubled 
eyes  studied  the  pattern  of  the  carpet. 

Suddenly  the  doctor  broke  the  silence. 

"  But  why  has  she  gone  ?  " 

"  Why  ?  Because  Raman  wanted  her  to.  Don't  you 
understand  ? " 

"  You  didn't  mention  Raman,"  he  murmured  ;  and 
presented  a  very  thoughtful  countenance  to  her  impatient 
glance. 

"  This  is  all  I  heard,"  said  the  woman.  "  I  am  unable 
to  think." 

She  sat  down  with  a  sigh,  and  after  a  little  interval 
sighed  again.  The  doctor  made  as  if  to  leave  the  room, 
and  his  wife  asked  : 

"  Well,  what  do  you  say  ?  " 

"  What  can  I  say  ?  I  am  surprised.  That  is  all  I 
can  think  of  just  now."  Her  stern  mien  discouraged 
his  smile. 

"  Katherine  will  write  me,  I  suppose,"  she  said. 

"  What  will  you  do  then  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  tell  just  now.  I  will  have  made  up  my 
mind  by  this  evening." 

He  stole  on  tiptoe  out  of  the  parlor.  Mrs.  Nast  wiped 
the  tears  away,  and  glanced  over  to  the  piano.  Sighing 
as  if  her  heart  would  break,  she  approached  the  instru 
ment  ;  and  after  tenderly  striking  a  chord,  she  began,  in 
shrieks  expressive  of  pent-up  feeling,  the  song  with  which 
she  had  entertained  her  guests  on  the  evening  of  Ra 
man's  appearance  at  her  house.  Not  until  hours  after 
wards  did  she  remark  the  coincidence. 


WORSHIPPERS  165 

The  details  were  given  to  Dr.  Hindman  by  Robinson 
who,  curiously,  had  been  the  first  to  learn  them  from 
the  deserted  husband.  The  doctor  listened  without 
moving  a  muscle  of  his  face,  and  yawned  when  the  other 
had  finished. 

"  You  are  not  surprised  ? "  cried  Robinson  angrily. 

"  Surprised  ?  No.  In  fact  I  expected  it, — for  some 
time." 

"  You  expected  it !  Are  you  trying  to  play  at  calm 
ness?" 

"  Why  get  so  excited  ?  Suppose  I  do  say  that  it  sur 
prised  me  ;  will  that  relieve  you  ?  You  might  wish  them 
a  pleasant  life." 

"  She  ought  not  to  have  done  it  ? "  cried  Robinson 
glaring  at  him. 

"  You  think  she  ought  not.  Suppose  you  give  us  your 
reasons,  Mr.  Robinson." 

"  See  what  it  means !     I  am  not  narrow — " 

"  No  !  No  !  Who  would  think  of  accusing  you  of  such 
a  thing  ? "  said  Hindman,  lighting  a  cigarette. 

"  I  don't  care  if  you  are  ironical.  I  say  again  that 
she  ought  not  to  have  done  it.  Had  she  no  restraint  ? 
I  thought  she  was  possessed  of  more  pride.  It  was  riot 
the  way  to  treat  Bronski.  He  has  been  good  to  her—" 

For  a  moment  Hindman  was  impatient. 

"  To  how  many  women  have  you  been  good  that  you 
did  not  marry  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  That  is  nonsense !  Sheer  nonsense  !  You  are  try 
ing  to  talk  from  the  clouds — " 

"  Thanks  !  "  And  the  doctor  grinned  exasperatingly  as 
he  watched  the  ribbon  of  smoke  curling  towards  the  ceiling. 

"  You  are  happy  because  it  will  give  you  a  chance  to 
laugh.  If  you  could  be  honest  with  me  you  would  ad 
mit  that  she  ought  not  to  have  done  it." 


166  WORSHIPPERS 

Hindman  shrugged  his  shoulders.  Then  turning  to 
the  other  man,  he  leaned  forward  and  said : 

"  Suppose  she  would  have  been  sufficiently  interested  in 
you  to  have  asked  you  to  take  her  away  from  Bronski  ? " 

Robinson  sprang  to  his  feet. 

"  You  know  what  I  think  of  you  when  you  try  to 
make  it  appear  that  she  forced  him  to  this  position ! " 
he  cried ;  and  rushed  out  of  the  office. 

The  doctor  laughed  heartily  at  the  scene.  But  his 
thoughts  left  the  angry  man  to  give  themselves  to  the 
important  event  of  the  day.  He  finished  by  saying 
aloud  : 

"  I  wonder  if  it  was  the  best  thing  for  him  ?  How 
much  does  she  *  love  '  him  ?  I  believe  he  has  played  the 
fool !  He  doesn't  know  the  woman.  Of  course  he  was 
very  convenient,  very  convenient.  And  the  uproar  it 
must  have  created  in  New  York !  If  he  went  there  he 
is  very  foolish.  But  if  he  went  there  it  is  because  she 
wants  to  make  a  try  for  the  stage  again.  He  is  a  child  ; 
he  won't  know  how  to  get  along  with  her."  Hindman 
chuckled.  "  Anyhow,  it  will  be  interesting  to  await  the 
outcome.  I  see  now  why  his  article  did  not  make  its 
usual  appearance  in  the  paper.  If  they  have  gotten 
word  of  it  in  New  York,  the  opposition  papers  will  be 
putting  it  on  the  front  page.  I  ought  to  get  them." 

He  stood  up,  yawned,  and  putting  on  his  hat  and  coat, 
lounged  out  into  the  street. 

"  Hey,  Hindman  !  "  called  someone  loudly. 

He  turned  to  find  Dr.  Ratner  moving  down  upon  him 
as  fast  as  his  short  legs  could  cover  the  ground.  Hind 
man,  much  vexed,  came  to  a  stop,  and  gazed  at  the 
houses  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street. 


PART    II 

WORSHIPPERS 


WORSHIPPERS  169 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  Ramans  congratulated  themselves  on  find 
ing  an  ideal  home  location  far  to  the  north  of 
the  Metropolis, — a  suite  of  rooms  that  over 
looked  the  river,  and  bordered  a  tiny  park  where  chil 
dren  romped  on  sunshiny  days,  and  men  sat  gazing  out 
on  the  opposite  bank,  heedless  of  the  hours. 

At  the  same  time  the  couple  would  be  out  of  reach  of 
the  interminable  roar  which  the  average  dweller  of  the 
city  accepted  as  a  matter  of  course ;  so  far  out  of  its 
reach  that  the  clang  of  an  electric  car  was  there  un 
heard. 

"Glorious!"  Katherine  had  cried  as  she  mentally 
filled  the  empty  rooms'  with  furniture.  "  How  did  you 
come  to  discover  it  ? " 

"  A  family  I  knew  lived  next  door.  But  they  feared 
the  river  on  account  of  their  children.  That  is  one  of 
the  reasons  why  we  came  upon  empty  rooms  here.  In 
time,  perhaps,  we  may  also  be  a  little  frightened — " 

She  averted  her  face.  Taking  advantage  of  the  jani- 
tress'  absence  from  the  room,  he  caught  Katherine  in 
his  arms,  and  kissed  her  passionately. 

"  Do  take  care,  dear,"  she  said.  "  The  woman  might 
have  come  in." 

The  disposal  of  furniture  was  a  topic  for  endless  dis 
cussion.  As  a  rule  Katherine  had  her  way,  although 
always  ready  with  a  multitude  of  reasons  after  each  vic 
tory.  And  when  they  began  putting  the  household 


170  WORSHIPPERS 

things  in  place,  she  went  about  singing  with  a  light- 
heartedness  that  was  a  joy  to  the  man  ;  and  no  youthful 
pair  of  lovers  could  have  found  anything  to  censure  in 
their  conduct. 

On  the  first  real  evening  of  leisure  they  pulled  their 
chairs  up  to  the  window  to  stare  out  upon  the  park  and 
the  river  ;  and  were  full  of  marvellous  words  for  an  oil- 
burning  barge  whose  funnel-belched  flames  bathed  banks 
and  water  in  yellow  light.  Their  mood  knew  no  rein 
until  a  spell  of  silence  brought  serious  reflections.  Ra 
man  breathed : 

"  You  have  no  regrets,  dear  ?  " 

"Why  ask  such  a  question?"  she  cried.  "What 
should  we  regret  ?  Surely,  surely,  this  has  been  our 
dream !  For  this  we  were  destined.  Oh,  the  joy  of  it  ! 
the  joy  of  it !  Kiss  me  ! "  Suddenly  she  cried  out, 
"  They  are  beneath  contempt !  " 

"  What  do  you  mean,  dear  ? "  asked  Raman,  a  little 
startled. 

"  I  was  thinking  of  the  ado  our  enemies  are  making 
about  it.  It  almost  horrifies  me." 

"  Why,  how  do  you  know  that  they  have  really  given 
us  much  attention?"  he  asked  carelessly. 

"  Did  you  believe  that  your  haste  to  hide  the  papers 
escaped  me  ? " 

"  I  wish  you  had  left  them  alone,  dear,"  he  groaned. 

"  What  does  it  matter  ?  But  it  showed  how  the  con 
servatives  hate  you ;  and  I  am  proud  of  you,  since  you 
must  be  a  foe  worthy  of  their  steel." 

"  Steel !     Their  weapons  are  dirty  enough !  " 

"  And  if  this  is  the  state  of  affairs  here,  what  must  it 
be  in  the  sleepy  town  we  left  behind  ?  The  hypocrisy 
of  many  who  always  talked  of  the  glory  of  realizing  one's 
soul,  and  who  will  look  upon  us  as  criminals  !  They 


WORSHIPPERS  171 

won't  weigh  the  circumstances.  Ah,  Alexander,  the 
people  are  such  liars.  Hindman  was  more  right  than 
you,  dear,  on  New  Year's  eve  when  he  laid  on  the  lash. 
I  enjoyed  it,  even  if — "  She  broke  off,  and  sighed. 

"  The  past  is  past,"  he  said  soothingly. 

"  Not  for  those  liars  ! " 

"  Remember  how  hideous  their  world  of  reality  is  to 
them." 

"  I  should  be  kinder,  perhaps,"  sighed  the  woman. 
"  Look  what  the  world  meant  for  me  for  several  years. 
Think  how  I  suffered !  I  almost  forgive  them."  She 
nestled  closer  to  him.  "  I  thought  of  writing  to  one 
person — Mrs.  Nast.  She  loved  me.  She  believed  in 
me." 

"  Are  you  not  afraid  that  she  would  be  a  little  shy  of 
renewing  a  friendship  ?  Would  you  rather  not  burn  all 
your  bridges  behind  you  ?  You  may  find  that  what  she 
has  to  say  is  painful ;  or  her  silence  would  be  painful. 
In  time  they  will  all  come  back  to  you.  It  is  all  a  mat 
ter  of  waiting  a  little,  dear." 

"  But,  Alexander,  Mrs.  Nast  would  be  just  the  one 
to  understand  such  a  deed.  You  remember  how  she 
spoke  of  love  that  evening  ?  It  was  fine  of  a  woman 
who  has  reached  her  years.  I  wonder  what  middle  age 
will  mean  for  us  ?  We  will  be  close  together,  so  close 
together  !  Oh,  I  am  no  longer  afraid  of  the  years."  She 
mentioned  Hindman' s  name.  "  He  does  not  lack 
breadth.  He  will  be  just  to  us." 

"  Strange  how  he  passed  from  my  mind  during  the 
last  days  ! "  said  Raman.  "  But  why  should  we  care, 
dear,  if  some  smile,  and  some  accept?  For  the  time 
being  we  are  living  our  lives  alone."  He  was  thought 
ful  ;  then  said  aloud,  "  Hindman — my  blowing  on  the 
embers  roused  him  a  little,  but  the  fire  is  almost  dead." 


172  WORSHIPPERS 

"  You  think  he  will  consider  the  action  strange  in  you  ? " 
she  asked. 

"  Dear,  Hindman  was  the  first  one  to  see  the  direction 
affairs  were  taking." 

"  Ah  !  Well,  any  shrewd  observer  could  have  noticed 
it." 

"  I  must  be  dull,"  laughed  Raman,"  for  I  did  not  dis 
cover  it  for  some  time."  She  playfully  pulled  his  hair. 
"  We  are  in  the  confessional  now,"  he  said. 

"  I  shall  tell  you  nothing.     It  will  spoil  you." 

He  was  once  more  serious. 

"  It  was  an  unusual  thing  we  did,  Katherine,  for  un 
like  the  many  who  accept  an  action  of  this  sort  as  a  mat 
ter  of  course,  ours  was  a  sensitiveness  that  threatened  to 
defeat  the  whole  thing." 

"  Yes,  but  not  fear  !  not  fear  ! "  she  protested. 

"  And  yet  we  were  both  a  little  frightened  at  the  sta 
tion.  Children  !  The  courage  for  brave  things,  even 
though  we  know  them  to  be  right,  is  faint  in  us.  Those 
less  sensitive  would  have  cut  completely  with  the  past. 
I  must  have  been  as  white  as  you.  Anyone  could  have 
guessed  after  a  glance  at  us  :  at  least  that  was  my  feel 
ing." 

"It  must  have  been  the  strain  of  writing  to  him," 
Katherine  hastened  to  say.  "  When  I  laid  down  my  pen 
I  was  limp  as  a  rag.  Very  strange,  for  reason  spoke  in 
that  letter."  She  broke  the  silence  which  followed  by 
saying,  "  Yes,  it  was  a  noble  letter."  And  she  repeated 
it  from  memory,  though  he  would  have  wished  her 
silent. 

He  admitted  that  it  was  well  composed.  "  You  have 
the  gift  for  writing." 

"  Let  us  not  speak  of  it  any  more,"  she  said,  putting 
her  cheek  against  his.  "  We  shall  be  as  children." 


WORSHIPPERS  173 

"  Yes,  everything  is  in  the  building  with  us !"  he 
cried.  "  We  can  be  happy  to  no  mean  degree.  It  is 
morning  with  us  ;  morning  !  " 

"  Ours  has  been  unusually  good  fortune.  Perhaps  it 
is  because  we  demand  more  of  life.  Oh  !  We  shall  de 
mand  all !  There  shall  be  no  compromise  !  Think  what 
lies  before  us  !  " 

And  then  she  spoke  of  an  actress  who  was  returning 
to  New  York  to  stage  a  new  play.  "  A  large  force  will 
be  required.  The  play  will  be  a  good  one.  You  shall 
never  say  that  I  wanted  courage  !  " 

"It  is  your  ambition." 

She  failed  to  detect  the  resignation  in  his  tone,  and 
cried,  "  Ah !  You  shall  be  proud  of  me  !  What  can  they 
be  saying  of  those  last  poems — those  I  must  have  in 
spired  ! " 

"  New  heights  indeed  !  But  wait.  We  shall  do  Eng 
lish  verse  together." 

She  found  it  important  to  ask  : 

"  Have  you  met  many  who — who  spoke  to  you  of 
this  ? " 

"  All  seemed  desirous  of  avoiding  the  subject.  I  sup 
pose  they  thought  it  wiser  to  let  things  run  their  course. 
But  we  can  expect  a  visit  from  any  of  my  friends.  They 
will  wish  to  show  that  they  do  not  misunderstand  me." 

"  You  have  no  doubts —  "  she  began.     He  cried  : 

"  How  can  I  have  ?     Wait  until  you  meet  them  !  " 

"  There  is  no  hurry,"  she  said.  «  It  is  hardly  possible 
that  we  shall  tire  of  each  other  quickly."  He  did  not 
join  in  her  laugh.  She  cried,  «  Oh,  at  last  I  have  no  fear 
of  loneliness ! " 

He  caressed  her  with  shy  intensity. 

Under  the  lamp  their  remaining  hours  that  evening 
were  spent  over  Heine. 


174  WORSHIPPERS 

On  the  succeeding  evenings  she  had  him  search  out 
his  best  among  a  trunk-full  of  manuscripts,  and  listened 
to  his  chanting  with  glowing  eyes. 

"  You  have  done  fine  work,  fine  work,"  she  told  him. 
"  Some  of  it  I  shall  try  to  turn  into  English.  Perhaps 
we  will  get  some  publisher  to  take  it.  Excellent !  I  will 
do  it." 

Her  start  was  deferred —  "  Until  I  get  the  spirit  of 
them  ; — the  spirit  of  all  your  work.  There  is  one  color 
always  on  your  palette." 

At  the  end  of  the  week  Raman  proposed  that  they 
break  from  their  isolation  by  taking  advantage  of  a  per 
formance  of  "  Tristan  and  Isolde."  The  seats  he  wished 
to  buy  found  her  asking  anxiously  : 

"  Are  they  within  your  income  ?  " 

"  Have  no  fears.     I  am  doing  well,"  he  assured  her. 

"  Oh,  what  a  burden  I  will  be  to  you  until  I  secure  an 
engagement !  "  she  cried.  "  My  work  of  the  past  should 
not  be  thrown  away.  True,  I  will  have  but  small  roles — " 

"  Why  speak  of  burdens  ?  "  he  asked.  "  It  would  be 
absurd  if  we  made  any  ado  over  the  meum  and  tuum." 

"  But  it  would  mean  much  for  me — give  me  a  sense 
of  usefulness." 

"  Of  course  it  shall  be  as  you  wish,"  he  said.  "  My 
objection  was  to  your  use  of  the  word  burden." 

She  pouted  at  his  frown,  and  inquired  playfully  whether 
he  gave  himself  to  these  bursts  of  passion  very  often. 
Then  she  spoke  with  delight  of  the  promised  music- 
feast,  instructing  him  : 

"  So  always  have  little  surprises  for  me.  I  will  be  as 
happy  as  a  child." 

They  went  over  the  libretto  of  the  opera.  He  pointed 
out  its  deficiencies,  and  spoke  of  the  compensating  glori 
ous  music. 


WORSHIPPERS  175 

"  My  dear  teacher,"  she  said,  "  you  have  a  dull  pupil. 
I  will  appreciate  the  poetry  much  better  than  the  music." 

"  Wait  until  you  hear  it  anew,"  he  said,  secretly 
pleased  with  her  annihilation  of  pride.  "  One  thing, — 
we  shall  get  a  piano.  Several  friends  of  ours  are  excel 
lent  artists,  and  we  shall  have  a  string  quartet,  and  sing 
ing,  and  what  not." 

It  made  her  very  happy. 

Her  handsome  attire  on  the  evening  of  the  opera 
forced  him  to  say  : 

"  The  clothes  are  his.     How  do  you  look  at  it,  dear  ?  " 

She  was  also  greatly  troubled.  But  with  a  toss  of  the 
head  she  argued  : 

"  To  send  them  back  now  would  be  absurd,  and  even 
peculiar.  Dare  I  not  say  that  I  earned  them  ?  " 

His  face  reflected  the  scarlet  that  tinged  her  cheek. 
The  sudden  tears  in  her  eyes  brought  them  into  each 
other's  arms. 

Their  places  at  the  opera  satisfied  her,  partly  because 
under  her  eyes  were  assembled  personages  whose  names 
were  of  national  importance.  The  glasses  in  her  hand 
strayed  often  in  their  direction,  but  she  spoke  contemp 
tuously  of  the  power  they  represented. 

"  The  pillars  of  our  civilization  would  be  subjects  for 
pity,"  said  Raman  with  a  smile,  "if  they  possessed  an 
atom  of  conscience." 

He  buried  himself  in  the  music,  his  hand  clasping  hers 
tightly ;  and  he  often  roused  her  to  beauty  of  harmony 
and  melody  by  the  pressure  of  his  fingers. 

She  wondered  why  Tristan  should  prove  a  bad  swords 
man  at  a  critical  period,  and  why  he  should  require  so  long  a 
time  to  die.  Isolde's  "  Liebestod  "  roused  her  because  of 
its  dramatic  power  ;  she  was  fascinated  by  the  appearance 
of  the  heroine  towering  above  the  body  of  Tristan. 


176  WORSHIPPERS 

Raman's  eyes  glittered  as  he  turned  them  upon  Kath- 
erine. 

"  Ah,  dearest,"  he  said,  "  you  have  seen  what  it  meant 
for  two  souls.  We  must  be  happy  !  " 

"  And  we  have  created  our  world  of  happiness/'  she 
said,  thrilling  with  the  moment. 

As  they  were  going  out,  Raman  remarked : 

"  Why  wish  to  achieve  more  than  that  in  art  ?  One 
seems  to  hang  in  a  shower  of  fire." 

"  It  was  wonderful." 

They  stood  in  the  great  thoroughfare  of  the  city, 
Raman  blinking  at  the  real  world  about  him. 

"  I  am  glad  it  is  night,"  he  said.  "  The  effect  is  al 
ways  marred  when  I  find  myself  among  busy  people  in 
the  daytime." 

"  Yes,  I  know.  I  have  felt  the  same  way."  She  re 
minded  him  :  "  That  dramatic  finish  !  " 

He  was  like  a  child  on  their  journey  home ;  and 
when  they  reached  their  rooms,  embraced  her  exultantly. 

Then  he  jotted  down  stray  thoughts  on  paper,  while 
Katherine,  crouching  before  the  window,  gazed  out  upon 
the  arc-lights  which  glistened  like  stars  over  the  little  park. 

"  Life  does  not  stint  its  measure  in  hours  like  these," 
she  heard  Raman  say. 

She  turned  pensively  towards  him.  He  came  to  her 
side. 

She  interrupted  their  dream-moments  to  ask  : 

"  Alexander,  why  did  you  come  to  Philadelphia  ? 
Surely  you  could  have  worked  in  a  place  like  this  !  Was 
it  to  escape  the  many  you  knew  ? " 

He  hesitated  before  he  gave  the  reasons.  His  cheeks 
were  aflame. 

"  How  little  you  could  reckon  on  the  uselessness  of 
escape,  dear  !  "  she  laughed. 


WORSHIPPERS  177 

"  You  think  it  was  cowardice  ? "  he  asked. 

"  It  depends  how  beautiful  she  was,"  said  Katherine 
with  mock  gravity.  Then  growing  serious,  she  cried, 
"  Why  cowardice  ?  Ah,  Heine  is  right  when  he  speaks 
of  the  gods  laughing  at  us  !  Except  that  in  our  case  it 
was  destiny  !  destiny  !  Tell  me,  did  she  write  ? " 

"  Yes  ;  often."  The  impatience  in  his  voice  did  not 
deter  her. 

"  Did  you  keep  any  of  the  letters,  dear  ?  Of  course 
not,  since  you  are  not  a  novelist — " 

"  Some  of  the  letters  were  so  beautiful  that  I  did  not 
hesitate  to  keep  them,"  he  admitted. 

"  Because  they  were  beautiful  ?  Let  me  see  them, 
dear.  Do  !  " 

Her  coaxing  succeeded  ;  and  he  looked  them  up  among 
his  manuscripts.  She  read  the  many  pages  in  a  low 
voice.  When  she  finished,  she  asked  : 

"  Is  she  beautiful  ?    What  a  child  !    Tell  me  about  her." 

He  did  not  hesitate  to  do  so. 

"  Do  you  know,"  she  said,  "  I  might  use  these  in  a 
novel.  Excellent  idea  !  What  a  romance  it  would  make  ! 
And  what  a  hero  !" 

"  No,  dear.  Let  me  burn  the  letters,"  he  urged.  "  I 
ought  not  to  have  kept  them,  or  even  told  you  of  the 
incident." 

"  Oh,  I  believe  you  were  really  proud  to  have  touched 
a  heart.  Anyhow,  the  praises  there  are  grand  enough 
for  the  greatest  hero.  They  belonged  to  you,  every  one 
of  them ;  and  I  am  jealous  of  the  happy  way  in  which 
she  expressed  her  passion.  You  might  use  it  in  a  poetic 
drama — " 

"There  is  but  one  poetic  drama  for  us,"  he  broke  in. 
"  I  could  not  equal  it  in  imagination.  Ah,  Katherine  !  " 

Putting  back  the  hair  from  her  forehead,  he  kissed  her. 


178  WORSHIPPERS 


CHAPTER  II 

SEVERAL  days  of  the  honeymoon  were  spent  in 
this  fashion,  until  one  morning  Katherine,  after 
giving  unusual  attention  to  her  toilet,  announced 
that  she  was  about  to  begin  the  rounds  of  the  theatres  to 
see  if  an  engagement  could  be  secured.      She  gave  at 
some  length  over  the  breakfast  table  her  reasons  for  be 
lieving  success  at  hand. 

"  So  you  think  this  is  the  proper  time  ?  "  Raman  asked 
with  marked  hesitation. 

«  There  is  always  a  proper  time  when  we  are  stubbornly 
ambitious.  I  may  get  a  small  rdle  ;  but  it  was  with  such 
trifling  beginnings  that  many  famous  artists  proved  their 
worth." 

When  she  had  put  on  her  hat,  furs,  and  gloves,  and 
stood  before  him  ready  for  departure,  her  hopeful  smile 
made  his  features  relax. 

«  The  coming  ordeal  does  not  terrify  me,"  she  said. 
"  It  might  be  called  an  experiment  which  tests  both  self- 
reliance  and  bravado.  I  stoop  to  conquer  !  " 

And  with  a  caress  of  the  man  who  was  gazing  vacantly 
into  her  face,  she  departed.  Raman,  with  almost  a  baf 
fled  expression  on  his  face,  remained  staring  at  the  closed 

door. 

«  And  yet,"  he  argued,  « it  is  what  she  ought  to  do. 
She  wishes  to  get  something  for  herself  by  her  own  ef 
forts  ;  and  when  I  assume  it  is  beyond  her  power,  am  I 
not  swayed  by  the  wish  ?  I  must  not !  I  must  not !  It 
would  destroy  our  peace  ! " 


WORSHIPPERS  179 

He  wiped  the  perspiration  from  his  brow,  and  paced 
the  room  with  set  teeth ;  but  was  forced  to  confess  finally : 

"  If  she  were  to  come  back  and  say  that  she  had  failed, 
I  would  not  regret  it.  Perverse  human  nature  !  Is  it 
the  fear  of  losing  her  ?  How  absurd  !  I  am  a  child  ! 
It  were  better  that  she  tasted  of  success.  If  she  loves 
me — and  how  can  I  doubt  it  ? — her  wish  is  to  bring  me 
happiness." 

To  his  mind  it  was  dispassionate  reasoning ;  but  his  pen 
that  morning  crawled  painfully,  often  halting  in  its  jour 
ney  across  the  paper  at  smooth  places  in  the  article  he 
was  getting  up  ;  and  he  scolded  every  little  while  with 
out  effect. 

She  returned,  and  cried  breathlessly  as  she  tossed 
aside  her  things,  "  To-morrow  is  the  time  !  My,  but  it 
excited  me ! " 

She  sat  down  beside  him  and  pressed  his  hand  against 
her  cheek  while  she  chattered  on. 

"  So  you  did  considerable  work  this  morning  !  I  won 
der  if  I  ever  disturb  you  ?  I  heard  that  several  companies 
were  reorganizing.  It  is  going  to  be  a  serious  season,  a 
season  of  ambition  for  stars.  They  will  return  to  the 
absurd  next  year." 

As  she  prepared  the  mid-day  meal,  she  sang  over  the 
stove ;  and  Raman  struggled  along  with  work  that  rang 
false,  and  was  valueless. 

Suddenly  he  went  to  the  kitchen. 

"  Dear,"  he  began,  laying  his  hands  on  her  shoulders, 
"  there  is  something  I  wanted  to  talk  over  with  you." 
He  stopped,  confused  by  her  grave  eyes  ;  then  stammered, 
"  We  will  wait  until  we  are  at  table.  It  will  be  better 
then.  Yes,  it  can  wait."  He  kissed  her  hand. 

As  he  was  leaving  the  room  she  cried  gayly : 

"  How  dare  you  put  on  such  airs  of  mystery  ?     Do  you 


180  WORSHIPPERS 

think  it  will  hasten  the  preparation  of  dinner  ? "  But  her 
singing  mood  was  gone  while  she  steeled  herself  for  the 
ordeal  she  expected. 

He  was  somewhat  abashed  when  he  sat  down  opposite 
her. 

"  And  now,  out  with  what  is  disturbing  you  !  "  she 
said.  "I  am  impatient." 

"  I  was  thinking  that  if  your  company  went  travelling, 
you  would  go  also — ?  " 

"  Of  course."  She  went  on  quickly  to  say,  "  I  can 
see  why  it  disturbs  you,  dear.  It  really  ought  not.  The 
time  away  from  New  York  is  often  not  very  long.  The 
summer  will  be  ours.  Oh,  you  must  trust  me  !  I  must 
have  you  beautiful  to  me  ! " 

"  Yes,  yes  !  "  he  said.  "  Let  us  not  talk  any  more  of 
it.  I  am  a  fool." 

"  Since  we  love  each  other,  how  can  we  make  much 
of  a  problem  like  this  ?  "  she  demanded.  "  Ah,  dearest, 
do  not  doubt  me  !  " 

He  could  only  murmur,  "  True  !  True  !  I  have  wronged 
you." 

After  the  meal  he  proposed  a  visit  to  the  Art  Museum, 
and  thither  they  went.  Katherine  exhausted  all  her  ad 
jectives  over  the  "  poems  in  oil  " — as  she  called  them. 
She  could  not  understand  Raman's  fondness  for  the 
plaster  casts  of  the  Greek  statues. 

When  they  left  the  Museum  they  were  agreed  that  it 
would  be  of  value  to  go  there  several  times  a  month. 
Raman  spoke  of  the  abyss  that  separated  the  Greek  and 
Mediaeval  art-worlds. 

"  And  you  are  intensely  Hebraic,  are  you  not  ? " 
Katherine  said. 

"  No ;  although  my  eclecticism  can  hardly  be  de 
fended.  Sometimes  I  feel  how  much  purpose  in  art 


WORSHIPPERS  181 

gives  it  dignity.     At  other  times  it  seems  a  tricking  of 
the  divine  sense  of  beauty." 

"Even  Goethe  could  not  be  perfectly  Greek,"  she 
offered  as  balm,  thankful  for  the  phrase  that  had  clung 
to  memory. 

"  It  reminds  me  that  we  must  read  Faust  together. 
I  want  to  discuss  it  with  you." 

"  Outside  of  art,  dear,"  she  said,  "  what  is  there  of 
human  effort  worth  preserving  ? " 

"  And  so  the  race  perpetuates  what  is  worth  remem 
bering  through  art  ?  Excellent  !  Only,  the  quarrel  is 
over  what  is  worth  remembering." 

And  he  was  jocose  with  the  schools,  coloring  the  flaws, 
though  generous  with  the  underlying  elements  of  truth. 

"  One  thing  frightens  me,"  sighed  Katherine  :  "  The 
pictures  have  seen  so  much  change  !  Think  of  the 
years !  " 

"  It  is  fortunate  that  perpetual  youth  is  brought  to  the 
making  of  art." 

"  Ah,  I  fear  old  age,"  she  persisted.  "  The  thought 
numbs." 

"  How  absurd,  when  we  can  stay  young,  dear ! " 

That  evening  they  were  startled  by  a  rap  on  the  door. 

"  Who  can  it  be  ? "  wondered  Katherine,  Her  curiosity 
gave  way  to  distress  when  she  heard  Raman  exclaim : 

"  Why,  it's  Rudov  and  the  doctor !  " 

Two  men  entered.  One,  whom  the  poet  introduced 
to  his  wife  as  Dr.  Burovsky,  was  short,  fair-haired,  and 
nervous;  the  other's  great  head,  crowned  by  curling 
black  hair,  towered  in  the  air,  and  went  with  a  phlegmatic 
temperament  that  loved  its  ease. 

"  The  so-called  '  Inseparables,'  dear,"  laughed  Raman. 
"  No  two  men  ever  had  more  to  quarrel  over  between 
themselves." 


182  WORSHIPPERS 

"Their  names  are  not  unfamiliar  to  me,"  said  Kather- 
ine. 

"  Is  there  a  Jewish  workingman  in  the  Middle  States 
who  does  not  know  you,  Rudov  ? "  Raman  asked  proudly. 

"  Ah,  I  wonder  if  my  mother — may  she  rest  in  peace  ! 
— would  have  forgiven  her  son,  destined  to  be  a  wonder 
ful  rabbi,  for  becoming  a  labor-leader  ? "  came  with  a 
great  laugh. 

"  What  could  she  understand  by  the  word  labor- 
leader?"  cried  the  doctor.  "  Let  her  sleep  in  peace." 

"  I  suppose  the  same  may  be  said  of  your  individual 
ism,"  said  Rudov,  turning  to  him. 

"  If  it  would  only  not  let  you  sleep  in  peace,"  the 
doctor  laughed. 

"  He  wants  to  be  told  that  it  don't,"  said  Raman,  slap 
ping  him  on  the  back. 

When  they  were  seated  the  doctor  cried,  "Before 
anything,  you  want  to  hear  Rudov' s  new  joke." 

"  Ah,  of  course  !  "  Raman  said  ;  and  added  :  "  It  is 
sure  to  be  on  himself." 

"  Certainly,"  came  from  the  labor-leader.  "  And  when 
I  call  it  a  grave  joke,  I  am  conscious  that  only  an  Ameri 
can  could  catch  the  pun.  Well, — " 

"  Just  a  moment,"  broke  in  Katherine.  "  I  want  to 
get  tea ;  but  I  can  follow  your  story  from  the  kitchen, 
Mr.  Rudov.  Excuse  me." 

Both  the  visitors  had  used  the  opportunity  for  a  brief 
study  of  the  woman  whose  escapade  with  their  friend 
was  the  talk  of  the  town. 

"  It  is  this,"  began  Rudov.  "  I  had  to  speak  at  a 
mass-meeting  where  a  strike  of  the  jacket-makers  was  to 
be  discussed.  It  so  happened  that  I  was  not  feeling 
well ;  and  in  the  close  room  my  head  soon  seemed  ready 
to  burst.  Sitting  next  to  Jadrer — the  secretary  of  the 


WORSHIPPERS  183 

union — I  mentioned  the  fact.  He  grew  serious.  *  Don't 
die,'  he  said  ;  *  we  can't  spare  you/  '  And  if  I  do  die  ? ' 
I  asked,  knowing  that  he  liked  to  talk.  '  Ah,  Rudov, 
what  a  funeral  we  would  make  for  you  ! '  *  Nonsense  ! ' 
I  said.  '  I  don't  believe  it.'  *  No  nonsense  about  it ! ' 
he  cried.  *  We  shall  have  eight  horses  on  the  hearse  ; 
and  every  union  in  our  end  of  the  town  will  turn  out  in 
white  gloves.' — Think  of  them  in  white  gloves  !  —  t  And 
we  shall  have  an  A- 1  band.  Ah,  Rudov,  money  would 
be  no  consideration  !  It  would  be  in  every  newspaper — ' 
*  Say,  Jadrer,'  I  whispered,  '  try  to  get  twenty  dollars  to 
gether,  I  must  pay  rent,  and  haven't  a  cent.'  He 
looked  at  me  as  if  I  was  crazy.  '  You  know  they  can't 
spare  it,'  he  said  with  anger.  That  was  the  joke,  the 
grave  joke." 

Katherine  could  be  heard  laughing. 

She  appeared  with  the  tea. 

"  I  am  glad  we  have  got  you  back  again,  Raman," 
said  the  labor-leader  as  he  helped  himself  to  the  sugar. 

"  Perhaps  you  think  I  am  happy  to  be  reading  some 
of  the  newspapers  here  instead  of  in  Philadelphia,"  came 
with  surprising  bitterness. 

"  Why  speak  of  their  vileness  ?  "  murmured  the  doc 
tor. 

"  Ah,  I  would  not.  But  these  last  days — !  Will  they 
never  cease  ?  "  Raman's  eyes  flashed  as  he  said,  "  I 
never  dreamt  that  I  could  hate  them  so  intensely." 

"  You  saw  some  people  we  knew  in  Philadelphia," 
Rudov  made  haste  to  change  the  subject.  "What  of 
Hindman  ?  " 

"  He  gave  me  a  warm  welcome,"  said  the  poet. 

"  A  warm  welcome,  eh  ? "  Burovsky  cried  with  scorn. 
"  What  use  had  he  for  you  of  all  men  ?  But  don't  speak 
of  him  !  Don't !  I  am  ashamed  to  think  that  he  boasted 


184  WORSHIPPERS 

at  one  time  of  my  influence  in  his  life.  See  what  he  is 
now  !  He  never  mentioned  me,  I  suppose." 

"  No,"  admitted  Raman. 

"  No,  I  suppose  not.  The  day  was  when  he  was  proud 
of  me, — as  I  was  of  him.  Bah !  "  His  gesture  of  dis 
gust  showed  that  his  hand  was  trembling. 

"  You  think  his  taking  up  with  medicine  hurt  him  ?  " 
asked  Katherine. 

"  You  forget,  dear,"  smiled  Raman,  "  that  our  friend 
here  is  a  fighter  even  if  he  has  a  D — r  before  his  name." 

"  But  you  must  remember  that  Hindman  is  an  individ 
ual  of  peculiar  character,"  she  argued. 

"  I  suppose  that  is  his  defence  too,"  said  the  doctor. 
"  Ah,  well !  We  won't  talk  about  ghosts.  Only,  when 
they  laugh,  it  hurts,  I  thought  of  going  to  Philadelphia. 
But  why  should  I  ?  "  He  shook  his  head  sadly. 

Rudov  rubbed  his  white,  graceful  hands,  and  said  in 
silken  tones,  "  Ah,  you  needn't  despair.  Watch  how 
events  will  carry  him  to  us.  With  the  awakening  of 
the  worker  to  political  class-consciousness,  Hindman 
will  be  where  he  can  direct  his  energies  into  a  useful 
channel." 

"  I  do  not  deny  that  he  can  become  dishonest,"  cried 
the  doctor.  "  And  then  he  will  go  to  you.  But  you 
will  be  disappointed  !  Mark  my  word !  I  am  certain 
that  he  is  no  more  the  man  he  was.  Raman,  you  have 
seen  him  again.  Although  you  will  hesitate  to  speak 
unkindly  of  him,  tell  us  the  truth.  I  ask  it." 

"  I  will,"  said  the  poet  after  a  brief  struggle.  "  Our 
friend  Rudov  forgets  that  when  a  man  laughs  too  long 
at  things  which  at  one  time  appealed  to  him,  his  period  of 
usefulness  is  over." 

"  I  told  you  !     I  told  you  !  "  cried  Burovsky. 

"  At  one  time — and  that  not  long  ago — ,"  continued 


WORSHIPPERS  185 

Raman,  "I  thought  his  doubting  period  might  not 
last—" 

"  You  spoke  of  it  to  me,"  said  Katherine. 

"  Yes,  I  remember.  But  at  this  distance  I  can 
see  the  effect  of  the  last  years  on  Hindman  more  clearly. 
I  feel  now  that  I  was  wrong." 

"  Of  course !  Of  course ! "  cried  the  irate  doctor. 
"  There  have  been  times  of  late  when  he  should  have 
spoken.  It  was  his  duty,  if  any  man's.  Well,  he  was 
silent.  You  Socialists  can  have  him  !  In  your  ranks 
he  will  want  to  be  carried  on  the  shield.  Bah  !  " 

"  We  will  find  a  mechanical  way  of  having  that  done 
without  degrading  anyone,"  said  Rudov  softly. 

"  You  grieve  because  he  makes  no  use  of  his  ability  ? 
Or  because  he  has  turned  his  back  on  the  beliefs  you 
have  instilled  ? "  asked  the  poet,  at  a  loss  for  words  kindly 
to  Hindman. 

"  Because  he  is  no  more  a  man  !  "  was  the  bitter  reply. 

"  And  yet  if  he  were  to  accost  you  suddenly  and  put 
out  his  hand,  Burovsky,  you  would  not  have  the  heart  to 
upbraid  him,"  insisted  Raman. 

"  Yes,  it  is  true  :  I  care  much  for  him." 

"  Why  "  interposed  Katherine,  "  do  we  keep  our  con 
versation  devoted  entirely  to  him  ?  No  doubt  he  is 
worthy  of  being  discussed.  But  remember  that  he  has 
gone  out  of  our  lives." 

"  Perhaps  it  is  unwise  to  rake  up  the  past,"  admitted 
the  doctor.  "  But  you  must  remember  that  to  us  he 
meant  much.  It  was  a  comradeship  that — as  our  poet 
here  would  put  it — built  above  the  very  stars.  Our 
lives  were  devoted  to  the  men  and  women  about  us.  We 
had  in  view  big  things  which  required  the  cooperation 
of  every  strong  man.  It  is  true  that  I  am  an  individualist, 
and  Rudov  and  Mr.  Raman  collectivists,  but  we  can  join 


186  WORSHIPPERS 

hands  at  times,  since  the  immediate  demand  is  to  arouse 
the  drowsing  masses.  And  even  if  Hindman  went  with 
them  I  might  reconcile  myself  to  it.  But  he  could  never 
do  it  and  be  honest.  It  is  that  which  makes  me  grieve." 

"  He  is  not  happy,"  said  Katherine. 

"  He  does  not  deserve  to  be  !  But  let  us  put  it  aside. 
Our  conversation  has  indeed  danced  too  much  about  that 
man." 

"  The  world  has  receded  far  from  him,  is  the  way  it 
appeared  to  me,"  said  the  poet. 

"  A  sort  of  pessimism,  eh  ? "  remarked  the  labor  leader. 

"  No,"  said  the  doctor.  "  He  is  simply  dead.  Why 
give  names  to  a  dead  man  ?  Poor  fellow." 

"  Ah  !  Nothing  but  your  cause  !  "  Katherine  cried  in 
protest. 

"  Yes,  our  cause,  Mrs.  Raman.  That  gives  me  a  de 
cent  excuse  for  living,  Raman  a  decent  excuse  for  writ 
ing,  Rudov  for  talking." 

"At  least  speak  well  of  the  cake,"  she  laughed,  push 
ing  it  towards  him. 

It  sufficed  to  turn  the  interest  of  the  men  upon  her. 
Rudov  asked  her  impressions  of  New  York,  as  if  ignorant 
of  her  former  residence  in  the  city,  which  had  been 
spoken  of  in  the  opposition  press. 

She  incidentally  mentioned  the  visit  to  the  museum, 
and  dwelt  on  the  work  of  the  masters,  running  through 
their  names  with  an  ease  that  boasted  knowledge. 

"  You  don't  know  what  dangerous  ground  you  are 
treading,"  cried  Rudov.  "  It  will  likely  precipitate  the 
doctor  into  a  denunciation  of  our  art-life.  He  will  tell 
you — if  /  may  be  brief — that  our  present  art  is  merely 
for  the  artist, — a  sort  of  tricking  and  tickling  of  the  soul ; 
he  will  use  hard  names — as,  for  instance,  '  The  parasitism 
of  the  entertainer ' ;  and  will  tell  you  that  no  honest 


WORSHIPPERS  187 

man  would  try  to  make  a  living  out  of  his  art  at  the 
present  time.  Have  I  been  fair,  Burovsky  ?  " 

"  Very  fair,"  said  the  doctor  with  a  nod  ;  "  very  fair 
for  a  man  who  can  listen  for  four  hours  of  three  thousand 
six  hundred  seconds  each  to  Wagner." 

Thus  launched,  the  talk  rambled  sufficiently  to  please 
Katherine.  Her  carefully-phrased  opinions,  however, 
did  not  produce  the  impression  on  which  she  had 
counted,  and  she  abandoned  the  field  with  ill-grace. 

Suddenly  Burovsky  said  to  Raman : 

"  Your  poetry  is  getting  a  little  above  us,  my  friend, — 
has  the  tricks  of  the  English  rhymsters  and  grinders- 
out  of  jelly  covered  words.  Are  we  losing  you  ?  Your 
articles  continue  to  be  a  source  of  pleasure  to  me." 

"  Don't  listen  to  him,"  dissented  Rudov.  "  You  are 
educating  the  workers.  Proof?  Your  audience  is  in 
creasing.  You  are  lifting  them  to  you.  Burovsky,  why 
cannot  you  believe  that  beautiful  things  are  of  just  as 
much  importance,  even  if  they  do  not  scratch  their  heads 
and  look  wise." 

"Raman,"  the  doctor  pleaded,  laying  his  hand  on  the 
poet's  shoulder,  "give  us  your  first  notes,  those  lines 
which  bespoke  the  simple  heart.  Why  this  complexity  ? 
If  Yiddish  has  a  mission,  it  is  to  appeal  in  full  to  the 
unsophisticated  ones  who  know  the  language." 

"He  has  evolved!"  cried  Rudov.  "You  want  him 
to  stand  still  ?  And  if  he  gave  you  the  first  notes  now, 
you  would  be  secretly  saying,  *  Will  the  man  never  learn 
anything  new  ? — never  graduate  from  the  sweat-shop  ? '  " 

"Won't  you  let  me  say  a  word  for  myself  ?"  began 
the  poet  with  a  smile. 

"  Not  one,"  said  Burovsky.  "  In  art  you  have  a  way 
of  making  black  white  that  doesn't  please  me." 

"  It  is  not  too  late  in  the  evening  for  some  of  that 


188  WORSHIPPERS 

very  bad  art,"  said  Rudov,  looking  at  his  watch.  "  What 
have  you  done  the  last  days,  Raman  ?  It  ought  to  be 
interesting  ;  " — with  a  smile  at  Katherine  whose  eyelids 
lowered  a  little.  "  But  you  must  hold  your  peace,  doctor." 

Raman  yielded  to  the  entreaties  of  both  men  ;  and  as 
Burovsky  was  more  an  admirer  of  the  "  evolved  "  poet 
than  he  cared  to  admit  in  a  guarded  moment,  the  time 
drifted  away  quickly,  Katherine  listening  in  silence  to 
the  comment,  and  wondering  at  the  unstinted  praise. 
"  It  surely  must  seem  flat  to  him,"  she  told  herself. 

The  visitors  took  themselves  off  with  promise  of  a 
similar  evening  in  the  near  future. 

"  What  splendid  fellows  !  "  cried  Raman  when  he  re 
turned  from  accompanying  them  to  the  door. 

"  Only  that  they  loom  very  important  in  their  own 
eyes,"  said  Katherine.  She  added  as  an  afterthought, 
"  It  was  unnecessary  for  Burovsky  to  talk  that  way  in 
public  about  Hindman." 

"  He  could  be  open.  We  are  all  close  friends.  Be 
lieve  me,  they  are  noblemen  in  every  sense  of  the  word. 
You  will  learn  to  like  them,  Katherine." 

"  It  is  possible,"  she  said  dryly. 

"  To  them  there  is  no  doubt  that  you  are  Mrs.  Raman." 

"  How  do  you  know  what  they  think  of  this  ?  They 
may  care  enough  for  your  company  and  good  opinion  to 
come  here — " 

"  Dearest,  you  are  tired,"  he  said. 

She  gathered  herself  together  with  an  effort. 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  it  is  that,"  she  said,  smiling  a  little. 
And  then  she  cried  passionately,  "  Alexander,  don't  have 
any  people  come  here.  I  can't  bear  them  !  "  and  threw 
herself  into  his  arms. 

He  looked  into  her  face  wonderingly,  unable  to  frame 
a  reply. 


WORSHIPPERS  189 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  Ramans  took  part  of  their  journey  down 
town  next  morning  together,  the  woman 
cheerful  and  talkative,  the  man  completely 
engrossed  in  her.  When  he  roused  himself  sufficiently 
to  look  about  the  surface  car,  Raman  discovered  an  ac 
quaintance  to  whom  he  bowed  in  friendly  fashion. 
Following  the  direction  of  his  eyes,  Katherine  flushed  to 
the  roots  of  her  hair,  and  grew  silent. 

Some  distance  before  her  destination  she  got  to  her 
feet.  Her  hasty  word  of  parting  to  her  husband  as  she 
left  the  car  made  him  stare  a  little. 

He  pointed  to  the  empty  seat  as  he  called,  "  Rose- 
blitt !  "  and  the  man  whom  he  had  greeted  came  to  his 
side  and  shook  hands. 

"  I  am  sorry  that  I  could  not  make  use  of  the  op 
portunity  to  introduce  you  to  my  wife,"  said  the  poet. 
He  was  surprised  to  hear : 

"  Oh,  I  knew  Mrs.  Raman  when  she  was  Miss  Kath 
erine  Berno.  I  must  have  changed,  or  she  would  have 
known  me.  In  fact  we  were  well  acquainted  in  the  old 
days." 

He  was  a  colorless,  carefully-attired  man  of  thirty,  with 
well-formed  features  devoid  of  interest. 

"  How  are  things  with  you  ?  "  Raman  inquired. 

"  Fairly  well.  My  law  practice  is  extending.  When 
you  have  a  chance,  come  down  to  my  office.  It's  quite 
near  your  newspaper."  He  gave  the  poet  one  of  his 
cards,  and  went  on  to  say,  "  I  am  getting  quite  a  name 


190  WORSHIPPERS 

now,  thanks  to  hard  work.  Many  of  us  want  that,  Raman, 
your  ideal  views  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding." 

"  You  have  entered  politics,  I  hear, — far,  far  away 
from  our  end  of  it." 

"  According  to  my  lights.  I  will  go  to  the  Assembly 
if  things  keep  on.  We  each  have  our  bit  of  work  to  do. 
You  are  doing  yours  well.  I  sometimes  hear  of  you." 

"  Often  ?  "  asked  the  poet  with  a  smile. 

"  N — no.  My  work  carries  me  where  yours  don't.  I 
wish  you  would  look  at  it  in  the  right  light.  You  always 
were  willing  to  put  yourself  into  the  other  fellow's  place 
to  see  things.  I  meet  many  of  the  old  chaps " — the 
word  hung  loosely  in  the  sentence — "  who  believe  that  I 
ought  to  have  stuck  to  the  old  ideas." 

"  You  were  not  made  for  them,  else  you  would  have 
stuck."  The  lawyer  failed  to  detect  any  sarcasm.  "  You 
will  succeed,  I  am  sure." 

"  Yes,  I  think  I  will."  And  apologetically  :  "  We  need 
the  conservative  element,  Raman  ;  so  you  won't  go  too 
fast,  you  know." 

"  There  is  no  danger  of  their  disappearing  too  quickly," 
said  the  poet  with  a  shrug. 

At  parting  Raman  proved  friendly,  the  other  man  very 
urbane. 

"  Let  me  see,"  mused  the  poet ;  "where  have  I  heard 
his  name  lately  ?  and  in  what  connection  ? "  The  ques 
tion  was  insistent  enough  to  worry  him  until  he  found  the 
answer.  "Ah!  Yes!"  he  cried  as  he  stood  on  the 
steps  of  the  newspaper  office.  "  That  is  the  man  she 
knew,  on  account  of  whom — Oh,  Hindman  must  have  let 
his  imagination  run  away  with  him  !  So  that  is  why  she 
left  the  car  ahead  of  her  corner  !" 

The  events  of  the  evening  before  trooped  back  to  ir 
ritate  him. 


WORSHIPPERS  191 

"  I  ought  to  have  asked  her  before  I  invited  Burovsky 
and  Rudov.  But  who  would  have  thought  that  she 
would  be  so  sensitive  about  the  step  we  took  !  The 
newspaper  talk  must  have  worried  her.  And  then  the 
men  seemed  to  slight  her  a  little.  She  is  so  human  !  so 
human  !  She  tries  again  to-day — "  He  sighed ;  and 
then  scolded  himself. 

Katherine  was  very  dispirited  when  they  met  over 
lunch.  She  asked  ill-humoredly  : 

"  Well,  what  did  that  Roseblitt  have  to  say  ? " 

"The  average  fellow,"  Raman  answered  carelessly: 
"  He  boasted  that  he  was  doing  well,  and  excused  himself 
for  being  able  to  state  such  a  fact ;  and  asked  me  whether 
I  couldn't  be  fair  with  a  conservative.  He  mentioned 
that  he  knew  you  years  ago." 

"  Yes,  and  I  never  liked  him.  He  was,  and  must  be 
still,  an  awful  fool." 

"If  he  had  only  been  a  bit  of  a  fool  he  might  not  be 
flirting  with  political  ambition  and  rascals." 

"  You  say  he  is  getting  along  ?  " 

"  He  told  me  that  he  expects  to  go  to  the  Assembly. 
He'll  climb." 

Katherine  hastened  to  say,  "  How  I  detested  him  in 
the  old  days  !  And  he  stands  out  as  the  most  unpleasant 
person  I  met  then.  It  was  to  miss  an  exchange  of  words 
with  him  that  I  left  the  car." 

"  How  nonsensically  sensitive  you  are  !  "  he  laughed, 
mindful  of  the  preceding  evening.  And  then  he  said 
seriously,  "  I  suppose  you  will  make  another  trial  of  it, 
dear." 

"  Of  course.  Oh,  but  you  should  have  seen  the  line 
of  applicants  !  Where  do  they  come  from  ?  Many  are 
poorly  dressed ;  and  most  of  them  seem  devoid  of  intel 
ligence.  One  wonders  what  they  could  do  with  a  role. 


192  WORSHIPPERS 

They  must  look  upon  it  merely  as  a  means  of  gaining  a 
livelihood.  What  else  can  it  be,  dear  ?  " 

He  accepted  the  opportunity  : 

"  The  ambition  for  applause  from  the  other  side  of  the 
footlights.  What  else  ?  In  that  case  it  happens  to  be 
immediate  recognition  of  one's  ability  to  play  a  part  aside 
from  our  regular  one.  And  we  are  very  hungry  for  ap 
plause." 

She  flashed  him  a  quick  look,  and  said  quietly  : 

"  I  am  glad  that  you  recognize  the  hunger  for  applause 
to  be  a  universal  failing.  Otherwise  some  of  us  might 
appear  absurdly  ambitious." 

Her  earnestness  left  him  silent,  although  he  considered 
her  view  of  his  statement  as  a  step  of  adjustment,  and 
was  grateful.  On  reconsideration  he  decided  : 

"  It  is  with  myself  that  I  must  fight  this  out.  She  is 
fair  enough." 

So  he  contested  every  inch  of  ground  with  himself, 
and  imagined  that  the  hours  went  by  more  smoothly. 
At  times  he  felt  vaguely  that  the  magic  circle  she  had 
drawn  about  her  ambition  would  have  to  be  crossed,  since 
her  lack  of  success  was  driving  her  to  despair.  But  he 
reasoned  that  she  had  met  failure  before  in  not  very 
desperate  fashion,  and  that  matters  would  adjust  them 
selves. 

During  one  of  these  days,  close  to  evening,  an  unex 
pected  visitor  opened  their  door,  and  greeted  them  with 
lofty  good-will.  Dr.  Hindman  stood  smiling  before  them, 
pleased  with  their  warm  welcome. 

"  Ah,  but  you  are  comfortably  fixed,"  he  said  while 
pulling  off  his  coat.  "  An  excellent  location,  with  that 
park  and  the  river.  Well,  how  are  you  ?  " 

"  Happy,  cheerful,  careless,"  enumerated  the  poet. 

"  Ideal !     But  then  I  am  dealing  with  ideal  people." 


WORSHIPPERS  193 

"  We  simply  refuse  to  have  it  otherwise,"  laughed 
Katherine. 

"  Now  you  are  boasting,"  warned  the  doctor. 

"And  what  could  have  induced  you  to  come  to  New 
York  ?  "  Katherine  asked,  "  Are  we  really  the  honored 
ones  ? " 

"  Partly."  Hindman  seated  himself,  and  continued, 
"  It  has  been  so  long  since  I  saw  the  old  town  and  my 
active  friends  that  I  thought  to  kill  many  birds  with  one 
railroad  ticket.  Ah,  what  a  spell  the  place  casts  over 
me  !  I  was  unlike  my  regular  self  the  moment  I  stepped 
off  the  ferry-boat.  I  know  you  will  be  advising  me  to 
stay  here  for  all  time  if  that  is  the  case."  His  laugh 
lacked  heartiness. 

"  It  is  so  close  to  supper,"  said  Raman  glancing  from 
the  clock  to  Katherine,  "  that  we  might  as  well  have 
it  now.  It  will  help  the  doctor  talk." 

"  You  don't  dine  out  ?  "  asked  Hindman. 

"  Can't  you  smell  the  delightful  odors  reaching  us  from 
the  kitchen  ? "  the  poet  cried.  "  It  shows  what  a  cook 
Katherine  is." 

"  He  means  his  big  appetite  forgives  and  forgets  my 
deficiencies,"  she  said  with  the  merriest  laugh  Raman 
had  heard  from  her  in  days.  "  But  suppose  you  take 
the  doctor  into  your  workshop,  Alexander,  while  I  attend 
to  things  here.  I  won't  be  long." 

Hindman  followed  the  poet  out,  turning  over  for  ex 
amination  the  display  of  conjugal  happiness  ;  but  he  could 
not  decide  that  it  was  for  the  purpose  of  forcing  upon 
his  attention  something  of  which  he  would  speak  on  his 
return  to  Philadelphia  ;  Raman  would  hardly  prove  good 
actor  enough. 

He  was  silent  when  he  looked  about  him  in  the  well- 
ordered  study.  After  glancing  at  some  of  the  books,  he 


194  WORSHIPPERS 

went  to  the  window  from  which  he  gazed  absently  on  the 
river. 

"  You  might  have  made  a  home,"  said  Raman,  divining 
what  was  passing  in  his  mind. 

Hindman  turned  upon  him  with  anger. 

"  Nonsense  !  How  long  have  you  tried  this  ? — a  couple 
of  weeks  ?  Huh  !  "  To  make  amends  he  hastened  to 
explain,  "  And  then  I  am  not  you.  Don't  you  see  it's  a 
different  problem  entirely  when  I'm  concerned  ? "  He 
sat  down  and  surveyed  Raman  with  some  interest. 
"Well,  shall  I  tell  you  the  pleasant  things  they  are 
saying  about  you  in  Philadelphia  ?  " 

"  I  am  not  anxious  to  know.  And,  Hindman,  please 
do  not  speak  of  it  to  Katherine.  If  she  asks,  make  it 
brief." 

"  All  right.  It  wouldn't  be  worse  than  the  newspapers, 
though." 

"  How  long  do  you  intend  to  stay  in  New  York  ?  " 

"  Oh,  a  day  ;  not  more  than  that." 

"  Well,  we  will  have  that  couch  fixed  up.  It  can  be 
made  comfortable.  Don't  refuse." 

"  I  won't,"  said  the  doctor.  "  Tell  me,  have  you  seen 
Burovsky  lately  ?  " 

Katherine  appeared,  and  informed  them  that  supper 
was  waiting. 

At  the  table  Hindman  repeated  his  question. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  poet.     "  He  was  here  with  Rudov." 

"  Is  it  to  see  Burovsky  that  you  came  ? "  asked  Kath 
erine  with  the  ghost  of  a  smile. 

"Well,  I  will  see  him — I  suppose."  And  Hindman 
looked  questioningly  at  the  woman. 

«  Why  ?  "  she  asked,  only  to  regret  her  temerity. 

"Why  ?  Because—  "  The  doctor  stopped  ;  then  asked 
in  a  strained  voice,  "  I  ought  not  ? "  He  followed  it  ex- 


WORSHIPPERS  195 

plosively  with,  "  Surely  he  could  not  have  been  so 
harsh  !  " 

Katherine  looked  appealingly  to  her  husband.  He 
said  : 

"  You  must  remember  that  Burovsky  demands  much 
of  friendship.  You  ought  to  know  him  !  " 

"  Friendship  !  "  cried  the  doctor  bitterly.  "  What 
does  he  expect  of  it  ?  That  we  never  waver  in  our  be 
lief  ?  That  we  should  sacrifice  everything  ?  He  could 
never  see  the  limitations  to  it !  Well  ? — and  Rudov  ?  " 

"  He  thinks  that  when  the  time  speaks,  you  will  come 
with  us,"  said  Raman. 

"  Rudov,"  said  the  doctor  slowly,  "is  a  big  man  :  pa 
tient,  far-seeing— 

"  And  willing  to  forgive  much,"  added  Raman,  smiling. 

"  He  is  always  considerate,"  was  the  way  Hindman 
met  the  implication. 

"  Which  of  the  two  is  your  greater  friend  ?  "  Katherine 
cried  indignantly. 

"  If  I  may  speak  for  him,"  said  Raman  :  "  he  who  ex 
acts  less." 

"  Burovsky,"  complained  the  doctor,  "  dins  too  shrilly. 
He  is  considered  broad  because  he  is  at  odds  with  so 
many  things.  At  one  time  it  fascinated  me. — Anyhow, 
I  now  consider  him  narrow,  in  a  great  many  ways, — like 
your  friends  in  Philadelphia." 

"  And  what  have  they  said  ?  "  asked  Katherine.  "  I 
cannot  believe  that  we  are  of  importance  enough  to  en 
gage  their  attention  all  this  while.  Haven't  they  for 
gotten  us  ? " 

"  Dear, — "  began  Raman  dissuadingly. 

"  Why  should  I  not  know  ?  It  will  show  me  what 
they  are.  At  one  time  they  insisted  that  they  were  my 
friends." 


196  WORSHIPPERS 

"  Friends  !  "  growled  the  doctor.  "  What  use  have 
you  for  such  a  word  at  this  time  ?  Confound  the  social 
instinct ! " 

"I  shall  write  Mrs.  Nast.  I  ought  to  have  done 
so,"  said  Katherine,  and  fearfully  watched  the  doctor's 
face. 

"  Well,  of  Mrs.  Nast  I  do  not  know.  I  have  not  seen 
her.  She  is  so  romantic,  it  ought  to  appeal  to  her.  It 
hasn't  to  Bronski.  I  heard  he  was  heart-broken." 

"  One  of  us  two  had  to  be."  And  Katherine  drew  a 
deep  breath. 

"  Of  the  others,  what  is  there  to  say  ? "  continued 
Hindman,  despite  the  poet's  injunction.  "  Those  whom 
you  would  expect  to  take  a  philosophic  stand  are  silent. 
And  the  small  people  are  exultant.  I  suppose  they  said 
everything  about  it  that  could  be  said.  I  wonder  the 
debating  societies  have  not  taken  it  up  for  discussion. 
But  you  should  have  expected  that." 

Katherine  snapped  her  fingers  contemptuously,  and 
glanced  at  her  husband.  His  assumed  lack  of  interest 
encouraged  her  to  a  resumption  of  her  ordinary  dignity. 

Hindman  looked  forward  with  too  much  misgiving  to 
his  next  visit  to  find  entertainment  in  their  talk.  Preju 
diced  by  bitterness,  he  gave  himself  to  a  careful  study 
of  man  and  wife,  and  was  soon  able  to  tell  himself  with 
some  satisfaction,  "  They  are  posing.  She  is  beginning 
to  calculate  already.  He  is  blind." 

At  eight  he  left  them.  When  the  pair  were  alone, 
Raman  caressed  the  woman  who  struggled  with  her 
sobs.  She  broke  forth  : 

"  What  reptiles  !  Surely,  surely  they  will  sometimes 
be  afflicted  in  some  way  that  they  may  hunger  for 
sympathy  !  Not  a  bit  of  pity  ! — " 

"  Yes, — for  the  world's  small  woes.     But,  dear,  why 


WORSHIPPERS  197 

should  we  consider  their  lapse  into  inconsistency  strange  ? 
Try  to  preserve  a  little  self-command." 

"  Did  I  not  before  Hindman  ?  "  she  inquired,  straight 
ening  up  at  once. 

"  Remember  that  we  are  being  studied." 

They  sat  for  some  time  silent,  she  with  her  hands 
covering  her  face,  and  her  elbows  on  the  table,  a  prey  to 
conflicting  emotions ;  he  with  curious  eyes  bent  upon 
her,  trying  to  fathom  her  abstraction. 

He  roused  her  with  : 

"  Suppose  we  wash  the  dishes.  I'll  do  the  drying. 
Hindman  will  be  surly  when  he  comes  back  from  his 
friendly  talk  ;  and  I  want  you  to  put  me  in  the  mood  to 
smooth  out  his  woes." 

"  Friends  !  "  she  exclaimed  fiercely.  "  One  is  a  fool 
to  expect  anything  more  than  entertainment  from  them. 
Hindman  is  not  always  a  fool !  " 

"  But  see  how  he  has  hurried  off  to  Burovsky." 

She  got  to  her  feet  with  a  sigh. 

Hindman  came  back  at  a  late  hour,  so  shattered,  that 
to  the  poet  it  seemed  as  if  some  horror  had  crushed  out 
his  man-nature. 

"  I  will  go  to  sleep  at  once,"  the  visitor  said  curtly. 
"I  am  very  tired,  as  you  see.  I  know  you  are  curious 
as  to  how  I  spent  my  evening.  But  there's  no  use  talk 
ing  of  it.  For  one  thing  it  might  wake  up  Mrs.  Ra 
man." 

"  Oh,  the  walls  are  thick.  Come !  Feel  that  you 
have  not  fared  badly  here.  What  if  Burovsky  has  built 
his  life  into  a  certain  pattern  ?  You  can  still  be  friends. 
He  is  not  so  hard.  But  you  must  have  acted  foolishly 
to-night.  You  ought  not  to  have  gone  with  the  idea  that 
you  were  to  meet  an  issue." 


198  WORSHIPPERS 

"  Don't  talk  about  it.  It  has  all  crumbled  away." 
And  Hindman  paced  the  floor  as  he  continued  with 
anger :  "  I  should  have  expected  it.  Why  should  we  go 
out  of  our  way  for  other  people  who  have  nothing  in 
common  with  us  ?  It  is  best  to  ignore  them,  to  put  them 
aside.  You  will  say  that  such  a  thing  is  not  pleasant. 
Perhaps  my  attitude  of  hostility  towards  men  who  plan 
is  not  pleasant.  Anyhow,  I  refuse  to  be  dictated  to  by 
Burovsky,  or  anyone  else.  You  think  I  was  hurt  ?  Why 
did  I  go  to  him  ?  I  was  in  the  grip  of  a  mood  that  is 
like  the  strange  feeling  which  sometimes  comes  upon  us, 
and  makes  us  feel  that  life  meant  much  more  years, 
years  ago,  and  yet  calm  reason  refuses  to  credit  it."  He 
had  stopped  in  his  walk,  and  was  staring  at  Raman 
without  seeing  him.  "  I  was  a  child.  Huh  ! "  Rous 
ing  himself,  he  cried,  "  Of  course  you  too  believe  I 
should  go  back  to  the  old  basis  of  making  a  noise  in  the 
world."  The  plea  was  pathetic  in  its  appeal  for  some 
vindication  of  his  course  during  the  last  years. 

"  Hindman,  I  won't  say  what  you  would  want  me  to 
say.  As  for  Burovsky,  he  cares  for  you  as  for  no  other 
man — " 

"  What  about  his  closeness  to  Rudov  ? "  Hindman  in 
terposed. 

"  You  ought  to  understand  that  what  he  finds  most 
attractive  in  Rudov  is  the  opportunity  offered  for  end 
less  debate.  But  we  will  have  no  deficiencies  in  those 
we  have  taught  to  fight,  and  whom  we  have  learnt  to 
love." 

"  But,"  cried  the  other  resentfully,  "  don't  you  see 
that  he  accepts  as  invaluable,  as  first  principle,  a  con 
ception  of  duty  that  to  me  is  not  logically  vital  ?  Good 
ness  me,  must  we  cringe  before  our  friends  if  they  find 
cause  to  differ  with  us  ?  But  that's  all !  I'll  have  no 


WORSHIPPERS  199 

more  of  it !  That's  at  an  end  !  You  had  better  go  to 
bed." 

He  glanced  at  the  carefully  prepared  couch,  and  was 
interested  enough  to  ask  of  Raman,  who  was  poking  at 
the  fire  in  the  little  stove  : 

"  Well,  how  do  you  find  things  ?     Are  you  happy  ?  " 

"  Yes,  even  though  it  is  our  period  of  adjustment." 

"  Period  of  adjustment — ? " 

"  Oh,  I  was  trifling  with  the  word.  I  used  a  term  be 
longing  to  your  real  world." 

"  So  she  still  wants  to  go  on  the  stage  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes."  Raman's  composure  was  inscrutable. 
"  You  know  that  it  means  wonderful  things  to  her.  She 
has  built  much  on  it.  A  praiseworthy  ambition." 

"  It  is  a  mistake,"  came  promptly.  And  the  next 
moment  Hindman  turned  to  see  if  the  door  leading  into 
the  bed-room  was  closed.  "  But  of  course  as  long  as 
you  are  satisfied—  He  finished  with  a  shrug. 

"  I  am  not  dissuading  her.  Good-night.  I  hope  you 
will  sleep  well." 

Hindman  gave  the  poet  a  searching  look,  opened  his 
mouth  to  speak, — and  only  said,  "  Good-night." 

Raman  heard  him  pacing  his  room  with  nervous  strides. 

"  What  is  left  him  ? "  he  mused  pityingly. 


200  WORSHIPPERS 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE  doctor  was  still  asleep  when  Raman  went 
down  to  the  newspaper  office.  He  was  gone 
when  the  poet  returned.  The  mention  of  his 
name  was  sufficient  to  arouse  Katherine  who  had  been 
idly  glancing  over  the  pages  of  a  magazine. 

"  I  was  glad  to  get  rid  of  him.  What  a  child  he  is  ! 
What  a  weakling  !  You  never  saw  such  a  man  !  He 
was  on  the  verge  of  tears  several  times  when  he  spoke 
to  me,  and  I  was  so  angered  that  I  could  have  laughed. 
It  was  a  revelation  to  me  of  his  character.  I  never  knew 
before  what  a  feeble,  useless,  miserable  individual  he  was. 
Don't  speak  for  him  !  No  amount  of  philosophizing 
could  rid  me  of  my  disgust.  I  hope  I  will  never  see  him 
again." 

"  I  suppose  he  intended  to  stay  in  town  a  few  days," 
said  Raman,  drawing  a  seat  near  her;  "but  Burovsky 
spoiled  it  all.  No  doubt  he  went  there  with  a  great 
show  of  dignity,  and  it  angered  the  older  man.  It  is  not 
likely  you  will  see  him  again  if  you  stay  in  New  York." 

"  And  you  are  not  likely  to  go  to  Philadelphia,"  she 
said,  and  arose  to  set  the  table. 

"  No,  not  for  some  time." 

While  they  were  over  their  meal,  Katherine  suddenly 
laughed.  In  answer  to  her  husband's  glance  of  inquiry, 
she  said  : 

"  You  remember  when  I  told  you  of  the  girl  who  fell 
in  love  with  Hindman,  and  who  was  dissuaded  from  push 
ing  her  intentions  too  far  ? "  He  nodded.  "  Well,  the 


WORSHIPPERS  201 

girl  came  to  me  about  that  time,  and  made  me  a  con 
fidante,  for  the  idiotic  reason  that  she  thought  I  was  in 
terested  in  Hindman !  "  Katherine  shook  with  laughter. 
"  Did  you  ever  hear  of  anything  more  nai've  ?  It  would 
be  considered  too  improbable  in  a  story  of  real  life. 
What  could  have  given  her  the  idea  ?  I  suppose  because 
he  visited  us  often  then.  I  set  her  mind  entirely  at  ease, 
and  told  her  unreservedly  what  I  thought  of  the  gentle 
man." 

The  next  day  Katherine  went  on  her  usual  journey  to 
the  theatres ;  only  to  return  with  an  ebb  of  spirits  that 
left  her  in  a  state  of  collapse.  She  moved  about  the 
rooms  silently,  replying  in  monosyllables  to  Raman's 
questions,  and  keeping  out  of  his  way.  He  became  rest 
less  and  unnerved,  and  the  hours  were  left  bare  of  work. 
For  a  time  he  was  tactful  enough  to  keep  his  peace  ; 
but  the  persistency  of  her  dejection  urged  him  to  sug 
gest  a  visit  to  one  of  his  friends  that  evening.  Supper 
until  then  had  been  uneventful. 

"  We  are  sure  to  find  pleasant  company  at  Danvitz's, 
and  music.  He  will  be  delighted  to  have  us,"  Raman 
told  her.  "  You  have  time  to  dress." 

Her  refusal  was  peremptory. 

"  If  you  wish  to  go — "  she  began  with  a  flash  of  anger ; 
but  paused,  and  went  on  buttering  her  bread  as  if  outside 
of  that  there  was  little  of  interest  in  the  world. 

"  No,  I  do  not  wish  to  go,"  he  said  quietly. 

When  they  arose  from  the  table  he  reminded  her  of  her 
intended  letter  to  Mrs.  Nast.  Visibly  brightened,  she 
prepared  to  write  it.  A  little  later  she  gladdened  the 
man  by  entering  his  study,  and  asking  for  some  of  his 
poems. 

"  I  promised  long  ago  to  render  them  into  English," 
she  said. 


202  WORSHIPPERS 

His  hands  trembled  with  joy  as  he  selected  a  few  at 
random,  and  kissed  her. 

"  You  have  set  yourself  a  hard  task,' '  he  warned.  "  Have 
patience." 

She  devoted  several  hours  to  one  poem  that  seemed 
best  suited  for  translation,  only  to  find  the  uncouth  re 
sults  dismaying.  A  little  weary,  she  said  in  disgust,  "  It 
is  a  question  if  he  has  gotten  anything  here  really  of 
much  account.  It  may  sound  well  in  Yiddish.  That 
ought  to  be  the  test — the  turning  of  it  into  another 
tongue." 

Raman,  happy  as  a  lark  that  she  had  fallen  upon  some 
thing  which  might  pleasantly  occupy  her  mind,  rummaged 
among  his  papers,  and  went  to  her  with  several  examples 
of  his  best  work.  He  found  her  idle ;  and  a  glance  at 
the  confusion  of  words  on  several  papers  explained  the 
situation. 

"  Those  are  weak  lines,  dear,"  he  said  gently.  "Here 
is  something  that  promises  better." 

"  Y — yes,"  she  admitted  after  reading  it.  "  But  how 
could  -you  guess  it  was  better  adapted  for  the  purpose  ? 
I  can  see  it  only  after  my  struggle  with  the  other." 

"  You  will  find  it  much  the  stronger  poem,"  he  said, 
and  left  her,  his  cheerfulness  entirely  dissipated. 

She  laid  down  her  pen,  and  leaning  back  in  her  chair, 
gave  herself  to  the  morning's  unsuccessful  search  for  an 
engagement.  In  a  few  moments  her  thoughts  were 
remote  from  the  manuscripts  he  had  turned  over  to  her. 
She  laid  her  head  on  the  table,  and  groaned  as  if  her 
heart  would  break. 

For  a  long  time  she  sat  as  if  in  a  stupor  ;  but  suddenly 
got  to  her  feet.  Her  restless  pacing  of  the  room  reached 
her  husband's  ears.  At  once  his  work  ceased,  and  he 
went  to  her.  She  eyed  him  dully  ;  and  Raman,  checking 


WORSHIPPERS  203 

the  words  which  were  on  his  lips,  found  a  pretext  for  his 
intrusion. 

As  he  was  about  to  return  to  his  work,  she  said  with  a 
sudden  lift  of  the  head,  "  It  is  late." 

He  started,  for  in  the  words — even  though  stifled  to  a 
breath, — rang  jealousy. 

"  In  a  moment,"  he  managed  to  say.  "  I  will  turn  out 
the  light  in  my  room." 

When  he  reached  it,  he  stood  stock  still  for  a  few 
seconds,  a  numbing  feeling  at  heart,  and  the  echo  of  the 
words  loud  in  his  brain.  Try  as  he  might  to  deride  the 
idea,  it  persisted. 

He  fought  it  during  part  of  a  wakeful  night  with  the 
determination  to  root  out  everything  of  selfishness  which 
might  threaten  the  woman's  peace  of  mind.  It  did  not 
promise  a  satisfactory  solution  to  the  somewhat  cleared 
brain  of  the  morning  ;  but  he  set  himself  the  task  of  en 
tertaining  her. 

The  days  that  followed  proved  to  him  the  uselessness 
of  pitting  his  efforts  against  her  despondency. 

He  prepared  for  a  long  siege,  fortified  by  his  love ; 
but  he  fell  upon  one  evening  that  threatened  to  rob  him 
of  all  courage. 

He  had  been  working  upon  an  article  for  his  newspaper 
with  application  that  was  heedless  of  the  hours,  and  he 
forgot  to  smile  into  the  frowning  face  of  the  woman  who 
was  sitting  at  the  window.  She  was  dividing  her  atten 
tion  between  the  monotony  of  the  scene  without,  and  his 
absorption  which  seemed  oblivious  of  all  things  except 
the  square  of  paper,  his  pen,  and  the  inkstand. 

Jealously  she  watched  him,  her  wretchedness  flinging 
space  terrifyingly  between  them,  until  her  resentment 
drove  her  from  the  room  that  she  might  not  make  an 
open  display  of  it. 


204  WORSHIPPERS 

Late  that  night  he  threw  aside  his  pen ;  and  after 
reading  the  accumulated  thought  with  rising  satisfaction, 
suddenly  remembered  that  Katherine  had  stolen  out 
some  time  before. 

"  It  was  certainly  good  of  her  not  to  disturb  me,"  he 
reflected.  "  This  is  the  best  thing  I  have  done  in  a 
year." 

The  faint  gaslight  in  the  bedroom  illuminated  the  face 
of  the  woman.  As  he  bent  over  to  kiss  it,  he  recoiled  at 
the  evident  signs  of  weeping.  She  sighed,  and  the  white 
arms  moved  nervously  over  the  coverlet. 

Raman  stared  at  her,  bewilderment  giving  way  to 
anger.  Thoughts  darted  rapidly  in  each  other's  wake. 
His  shoulders  bent  discouragingly  under  the  discovered 
burden. 

He  began  to  question  his  knowledge  of  the  woman, 
and  ran  rapidly  over  the  past  weeks,  only  to  find  that 
the  value  of  the  human  hours  was  destroyed  by  her 
complete  separation  from  him  in  matters  that  demanded 
the  slightest  sacrifice  on  her  part. 

So  he  stood  for  some  time,  answering  chance  sigh  with 
sigh,  until  he  groaned  helplessly,  and  prepared  to  sleep. 
In  the  morning  Katherine  was  too  engrossed  with  her 
own  affairs  to  give  any  attention  to  his  unusual  quietness. 

One  evening  at  supper  a  few  days  later  she  was  seized 
with  sudden  faintness,  and  in  explanation  revealed  some 
thing  which  made  him  cry  out  jubilantly,  "Dearest! 
Dearest ! " 

"  No  !  No  !  "  she  said,  repulsing  him  as  he  was  about 
to  embrace  her.  "  No !  It  can't  be  Alexander  !  It 
musn't  be  !  What  a  burden  it  would  mean  for  both  of 
us.  No,  Alexander."  She  suddenly  put  her  arms  about 
him,  and  whispered,  "  Some  time  in  the  future.  Not 
now." 


WORSHIPPERS  205 

Freeing  himself,  he  protested  ;  but  she  was  inexorable. 
He  grew  stern  ;  and  she  answered  him  with  logic  that  he 
was  forced  to  fight  warily,  until  he  gave  way  to  impatience. 

"  You  are  a  child,"  she  scolded.  "  In  you  are  all  the 
prejudices  you  make  such  an  ado  about.  God  in  heaven  ! 
is  there  not  enough  misery  in  life  that  we  must  find  par 
takers  of  it  ? " 

He  pursued  the  topic  no  further  in  the  face  of  her 
heated  opposition.  Grief  and  anger  drove  him  to  ask 
himself  why  she  took  that  stand ;  and  gave  answer : 
"  She  prefers  to  be  free  to  pursue  her  ambition.  With 
that  as  her  goal,  nothing  else  will  count." 

The  next  time  they  were  together  he  looked  at  her 
closely. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Alexander  ? "  she  asked. 

"  Nothing." 

In  reality  her  face  did  not  appear  to  be  the  same  to 
him,  although  he  could  not  explain  wherein  the  difference 
lay. 


206  WORSHIPPERS 


CHAPTER  V 

LIVING  expenses  became  a  considerable  factor  in 
ordering  the  poet's  work,  and  the  hours  which 
he  could  spare  for  the  woman  were  not  as  nu 
merous  nor  as  light-hearted  as  he  might  have  wished. 
Katherine  shunned  his  study,  found  only  trifles  of  inter 
est  when  they  were  thrown  together,  and  gave  herself  to 
books  with  an  absorption  which  allowed  her  to  disregard 
the  man.  In  excuse  she  soon  saw  it  necessary  to  tell 
him  : 

"  I  do  not  want  to  be  in  your  way.  You  have  your 
work  to  do,  and  must  concentrate  your  attention  upon  it. 
I  do  not  understand  why  you  hesitate  to  tell  me  when  I 
disturb  you." 

"  But  you  do  not  in  my  leisure  moments,"  he  protested. 
"  In  fact  you  are  a  help,  and  your  word  of  encouragement 
allows  me  to  command  greater  effort.  Do  not  cut  your 
self  off  from  my  work  like  this.  I  want  to  share  it  with 
you  :  to  have  you  pass  upon  it,  and  to  take  delight  in  any 
thing  I  may  do  that  is  of  merit.  Just  as  you,  dearest, 
would  divide  with  me  any  honors  that  came  to  you." 

The  last  was  sufficient  to  create  for  her  the  picture  of 
the  world  at  her  feet  and  this  man  beside  her  sharing  in 
the  homage ;  and  she  turned  critical  eyes  upon  him. 
Shame  made  her  hastily  say  : 

"  You  must  forgive  my  gloom,  Alexander.  Surely 
you  have  learnt  to  know  me  !  You  do  not  doubt,"  came 
fearfully,  "  that  we  are  close  to  each  other  ?  You  must 


WORSHIPPERS  207 

remember  that  life  is  just  beginning  to  teach  me  things. 
It  meant  so  little  before." 

Striving  to  grasp  her  meaning,  he  could  only  say,  "  You 
are  lonely." 

"  No  !  No  !  If  your  thought  is  to  bring  people  here, 
I  will  repeat  that  I  do  not  want  them.  Why  shouldn't 
we  be  strong  enough  to  dream  alone  ? " 

Ignoring  the  importance  of  evening-quiet  for  studious 
work,  Raman  induced  the  woman  to  take  long  walks. 
The  return  journey  was  always  accomplished  in  silence,  un 
less  the  poet  chose  to  overlook  her  irritability  born  of 
weariness,  and  found  a  pretext  for  conversation. 

She  had  an  aversion  for  those  theatres  which  she  had 
visited  in  search  of  employment,  and  only  consented  to 
go  to  a  performance  when  the  playhouse  was  not  on  her 
list  of  failures.  He  hastened  to  secure  the  tickets. 

"  A  problem  play,"  he  told  her.  "  And  the  interpreter 
ought  to  please  you,  dear.  You  will  understand  her  art 
better  than  I." 

"  I  don't  rave  over  her,  having  never  proved  to  my 
satisfaction  that  she  was  an  artist.  But  I  shall  enjoy  the 
drama.  It  will  help  me  :  I  go  to-morrow  for  the  last 
time  to  see  about  an  engagement,  but  only  because  it  is 
the  last  opportunity.  Hind  man  would  like  the  play." 
She  allowed  herself  the  luxury  of  a  smile. 

"  Yes,  our  Scandinavian  master  is  the  doctor's  favorite. 
Do  you  remember  that  day  when  I  met  you  coming  from 
the  library  ? " 

No,  she  did  not  remember  ;  and  went  on  speaking  of 
the  play  and  the  actress  until  he  discerned  that  her  criti 
cism  of  the  latter  had  envy  at  its  root. 

"  Does  failure  always  embitter  ? "  he  asked  himself  sadly. 

At  the  performance  Katherine  found  herself  held  by 
the  development  of  the  story.  Between  the  acts  she 


208  WORSHIPPERS 

listened  patiently  to  Raman's  exposition  of  the  vital  points 
of  the  play,  and  was  interested  in  the  tricks  aiding  situa 
tion  and  character  which  he  made  luminous. 

"  I  have  been  with  Danvitz  at  rehearsals,  and  have 
seen  him  suggest  apparently  trifling  points  that  lifted  the 
whole  episode.  Why  will  you  not  go  when  something 
of  his  is  performed  ?  At  least  have  him  down  to  the 
house.  His  simplicity  is  delightful." 

A  sudden  flash  of  good  humor  found  her  consenting 
to  receive  him. 

When  they  left  the  theatre  she  urged  him  to  write  a 
play.  He  spoke  of  the  difficulties. 

"  Don't  you  see,  dear,  that  anything  serious  I  might 
accomplish,  no  matter  how  good,  would  be  as  brutally 
treated  as  you  are  ?  To  worry  and  fuss  over  it,  and  then 
have  it  fill  some  space  among  old  manuscripts  !  I  might 
essay  something  in  Yiddish." 

She  would  not  hear  of  it. 

"When  will  you  think  of  appealing  to  the  bigger 
circle  ?  "  she  cried.  "  In  English  your  audience  is  vast, 
and  keen  for  the  finest  things." 

She  continued  in  the  same  strain  until  they  entered 
a  cafe  for  some  wine. 

"  I  am  afraid  we  could  not  spend  many  evenings  in 
the  week  in  this  fashion  without  worrying  about  our 
purse,"  she  remarked ;  and  then  she  leaned  forward  to 
whisper,  "  Do  not  do  it  hurriedly,  but  look  at  that  pretty 
girl  to  your  right,  in  the  corner.  She  was  talking  to  me 
the  other  day  while  in  line,  and  told  me  quite  a  story  of 
her  struggle  to  get  an  engagement,  and  was  desperately  in 
need  of  money.  Her  companion  is  intoxicated,  you  notice." 

Raman  mused  over  the  details  until  he  was  furious 
with  the  certainties  that  spoke  in  every  action  of  the 
girl  who  was  laughing  wildly  into  the  drunken  eyes. 


WORSHIPPERS  209 

"  For  her,  life  is  damnably  real,"  he  said  in  a  subdued 
voice.  "  What  madness  !  Can  she  not  see  the  end  that 
looms  clear  ?  What  queries  rise  out  of  the  depths  into 
which  she  is  sinking !  Afraid  to  do  work  that  might  be 
called  undignified,  and  yet  resorting  to  this !  She  may 
lack  every  necessary  qualification  for  success  on  the  stage." 

"  It  is  her  own  affair,"  said  Katherine  quickly. 

"  I  won't  admit  it." 

They  wandered  through  the  surging  crowd  on  Broad 
way  where  faces  produced  a  feeling  akin  to  awe  in  the 
poet. 

"  The  net  is  so  finely  woven  that  superb  strength  is 
required  to  break  through  it ; — as  the  master  has  shown 
in  the  play." 

"  You  shall  set  to  work  to-morrow  to  write  one  your 
self,"  she  commanded. 

He  laughingly  consented  to  talk  over  a  certain  com 
bination  of  circumstances  with  Danvitz,  and  to  secure 
his  opinion. 

The  playwright  visited  them  during  the  week.  Kath 
erine  recognized  the  tall,  well-formed  man,  whose  mas 
sive,  bearded  head  and  keen  eyes  had  clung  to  her 
memory  though  she  had  not  seen  him  for  several  years. 

He  talked  jestingly  while  taking  stock  of  the  woman, 
and  his  ponderous  laugh  did  not  seem  to  know  a  care. 
When  Raman  made  mention  of  a  subject  for  a  play  and 
outlined  the  story,  the  visitor  shook  his  head. 

"  You  ought  to  know  perfectly  well  that  you  won't 
get  a  hearing  for  such  a  '  heavy '  plot,  unless  you  should 
wish  to  twist  it  out  of  shape.  Don't  forget  it  is  a  busi 
ness  proposition  with  the  manager ;  and  really,  though  it 
would  be  first  rate  for  our  Yiddish  stage,  it  would  not  suit 
the  average-minded  American.  Try  it  in  Yiddish,  Ra 
man.  I  shall  see  that  it  is  put  on.  It  is  interesting. 


210  WORSHIPPERS 

However  did  you  manage  to  get  the  world's  two  and  two 
together  so  unshrinkingly  ? " 

"  But,"  Katherine  ventured  to  say,  "if  the  play  should 
have  an  element  of  humor  it  will  work  out  well  and  an 
American  audience  might  like  it." 

"  Aside  from  the  fact  that  Mr.  Raman  would  refuse 
to  indulge  in  jokes  at  the  expense  of  the  play,  there  is 
to  be  considered  the  divergence  of  opinion  in  necessary 
quarters  as  to  that  word  interesting." 

He  continued  to  throw  cold  water  on  her  project  until 
she  fumed  inwardly ;  and  her  dissatisfaction  was  com 
plete  when  Raman  consented  to  try  the  play  in  Yiddish. 

With  smiling  eagerness  Danvitz  called  for  the  lines  the 
poet  had  done  during  the  last  weeks.  He  lifted  his 
eyebrows  at  their  paucity,  and  scolded  : 

"  You  are  giving  too  much  time  to  prose.  If  you 
would  realize  how  you  ease  many  of  us  of  the  tension  of 
a  problem-sickened  world,  you  would  never  dare  to  do  it." 

Katherine  was  at  a  loss  how  to  stand  before  this  man 
to  gain  praise.  His  simplicity  did  not  appeal  to  her,  nor 
his  boundless  good-humor.  She  wondered  how  he  had 
managed  to  create  noteworthy  plays.  Her  husband  at 
least  openly  revealed  a  temperament  equal  to  such  work. — • 
(She  had  once  said  that  "  thought  sat  enthroned  on  his 
lineaments.") — But  this  man  seemed  put  up  on  lines  far 
from  the  subtle  or  the  sublime. 

Early  in  the  evening  she  excused  herself  on  the  plea 
of  fatigue,  and  left  the  men  sipping  tea  and  smoking  in 
the  study. 

"  She  has  not  been  feeling  well  of  late,"  said  the  poet. 

"  Oh  !  "  The  other  man  looked  to  see  that  the  com 
municating  door  between  the  bedroom  and  the  study 
was  closed,  and  went  on  to  say,  "  You  risked  public 
opinion  very  courageously."  And  the  father  of  nine 


WORSHIPPERS  211 

children,  two  of  whom  had  reached  maturity,  smiled  at 
the  dreamer. 

"  Mr.  Danvitz,  I  could  stand  the  sneers  and  foul  re 
marks  of  the  men  hostile  to  me,  just  as  you  could  stand 
their  attack  on  you  for  being  responsible  by  your  teaching 
for  what  I  did."  Raman's  amusement  gave  way  to  in 
dignation  that  was  short-lived  in  the  face  of  the  other's 
calmness. 

Danvitz  shrugged  his  broad  shoulders,  and  spreading 
out  his  hands,  said  in  Yiddish  : 

"  What  can  we  do  to  the  dogs  ?  They  are  furious 
at  our  success.  To  fight  them  with  their  own  weap 
ons  would  be  a  mistake.  You  are  taking  the  right 
course." 

"  I  suppose  so.  Ah,  well  ;  what  is  the  difference  ?  " 
He  suppressed  a  sigh.  "  As  for  what  I  did  that  brought 
the  hornet's  nest  about  my  ears, — it  was  no  caprice.  We 
were  serious — almost  to  the  point  of  not  doing  it  at  all. 
You  see  ? " 

"  It  was  partly  Bronski's  fault,"  said  Danvitz  looking 
at  the  other  man  thoughtfully.  "  A  fool  who  likes  toys, 
nice  girls,  and  so  forth.  We  all  do  ; " — with  a  ponderous 
laugh  that  shook  the  room — "  but  we  don't  show  it.  I 
knew  him  very  well  at  one  time.  He  always  had  the 
sex-courage.  And  that  all  of  us  have  not.  Hindman 
comes  to  my  mind.  He  was  here,  I  believe.  What 
brought  him  ? " 

"  Burovsky." 

Katherine  could  hear  the  great  laugh  again,  and  she 
wondered  what  the  men  had  chanced  upon  that  was  full 
of  merriment.  Impulsively  she  slipped  to  the  floor  from 
the  bed.  Curiosity  that  reckoned  neither  with  excuse 
nor  scruples  sent  her  to  the  door.  The  murmur  changed 
to  clear  tones.  Raman  was  saying: 


212  WORSHIPPERS 

"  He  brought  me  a  boiled-down  report  of  the  intellec 
tuals'  opinion  of  my  doings  in  that  city." 

"  How  does  Mrs.  Raman  take  it  ?  'V 

"  It  pained  her  greatly  at  first ;  but  it  is  a  thing  to  which 
one  gets  accustomed.  She  has  other  things  to  engage 
her  attention  just  now." 

"  I  hear  she  is  thinking  of  the  stage." 

"  Dreaming  of  it,  I  fear.     Her  failure  is  saddening  her." 

"  A  pity  she  isn't  as  good  in  Yiddish  as  English." 

"  She  detests  the  Yiddish  stage.  Her  dreams  are 
bigger.  And  I — am  silent.  She  does  not  know  that  I 
do  not  accept  her  dramatic  ability  at  her  value,  Mr. 
Danvitz.  You  have  never  considered  me  a  weakling. 
Yet  here  is  this  woman  longing  intensely  for  happiness 
which  must  be  bought  for  quite  a  price,  and  I  say  nothing." 

"  I  see.     I  see." 

"  I  am  sure  that  when  she  begins  touring,  and  be 
comes  part  of  the  great  theatrical  world,  our  relations 
will  begin  to  look  different.  Perhaps  I  have  not  the 
necessary  magnetism  to  hold  a  woman.  You  must  re 
member  that  I  am  a  product  of  our  peculiar  Jewish  life 
and  tendency.  She  has  been  caught  by  the  American 
spirit  ;  and  I  would  burden  her." 

"  It  places  your  relationship  in  a  peculiar  light,"  said 
Danvitz,  softly,  touched  by  the  other's  candor. 

"  No  doubt !  No  doubt ! "  came  in  accents  of  grief. 
"  You  are  the  one  man  to  whom  I  can  say  that  it  is 
driving  me  mad." 

The  visitor  apparently  hesitated  to  discuss  the  matter. 
Katherine,  numbed,  staggered  to  her  feet,  and  dropped 
into  the  bed  with  horror-open  eyes.  When  her  grief  was 
somewhat  mastered,  she  tossed  from  side  to  side  unable 
to  seize  completely  upon  the  words  she  had  heard.  The 
man,  once  an  easy  problem,  now  frightened  her. 


WORSHIPPERS  213 

"  Dreams  too  big."  "  Burden  her."  "  Happiness  at  a 
great  price."  The  brain  repeated  this  until  she  writhed. 

She  hesitated  to  make  a  scene,  fearful  of  his  honesty 
which  would  bring  him  to  repeat  what  he  had  said  to 
Danvitz,  and  apprehensive  of  a  complete  threshing  out  of 
the  question. 

Underneath  the  show  of  prudence,  resentment  lay  in 
wait.  The  woman  was  perfectly  calm  before  much  time 
had  elapsed.  But  she  hungered  more  than  ever  for  suc 
cess,  and  promised  not  to  yield  an  inch  in  the  struggle. 
He  would  see  whether  she  was  merely  dreaming  ! 

"  How  can  I  be  afraid  of  him  ?  "  she  cried  striking  her 
clenched  hands  together. 

It  was  late  when  the  two  men  parted,  Danvitz  deep  in 
the  possibilities  of  a  play  that  the  arrangement  of  cir 
cumstances  suggested. 

"  He  has  changed,"  he  mused.  "  Yes,  very  much  ! 
Was  he  a  mateable  man  in  the  first  place  ?  She  seems 
to  have  nothing  in  common  with  him.  Of  course  the 
thought  of  a  play  in  English  is  prompted  by  the  hope 
that  it  will  mean  her  opportunity.  They  are  both  to  be 
pitied.  What  he  needed  was  some  soft,  tender  woman, 
who  would  have  loved  him  for  his  own  sake,  and  not  for 
what  the  world  thought  of  him.  He  is  getting  his  educa 
tion  at  a  late  period.  Perhaps  they  will  come  to  an  un 
derstanding — " 

In  looking  ahead  for  the  probable  outcome,  the  play 
wright  confessed  himself  at  a  loss  because  he  could  not 
fathom  the  woman's  nature. 

"  I  wonder  if  she  understands  herself  ?  She  is  very 
strange.  Not  feminine  enough,  I  would  say.  She  does  not 
like  me.  I  did  not  agree  with  her,  and  she  promptly  retires." 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders. 


214  WORSHIPPERS 


CHAPTER  VI 

"     A    LEXANDER,  let  me  introduce  you  to  a  distant 
/-\     aunt  of  mine,  Dr.  Rebecca  Isfeld,"  were  words 

•*•  -^-  that  brought  back  to  Raman's  memory  the 
day  when  Hindman  had  spoken  of  this  relative  of  Kath- 
erine's. 

The  stern,  plump,  little  woman  held  out  her  hand  as 
she  studied  the  man  through  her  thick  glasses. 

"  Mr.  Raman  may  not  have  heard  of  me,"  she  said 
when  she  was  seated  ;  "  but  the  reverse  is  not  true.  Of 
course  " —  facing  him  squarely — "  I  differ  completely 
with  you  in  your  social  philosophy.  Yet  I  can  appreciate 
a  good  article,  and  a  good  poem." 

Raman,  at  a  loss  to  explain  the  visit,  said  politely  : 

"  In  your  vocation  you  gather  credit  as  easily  as  I  in 
mine." 

"  I  doubt  it.  With  your  following  I  would  be  a  rich 
woman.  I  see  you  are  trying  to  have  comfortable  sur 
roundings." 

"  Katherine's  choice  and  arrangement,"  said  Raman 
shortly. 

"Would  you  believe  it,"  laughed  the  little  woman, 
"  she  neglected  me  until  a  week  ago.  But  of  course  a 
friend  in  need  is  a  good  deal  of  a  friend." 

Raman  looked  at  the  visitor  for  a  moment  as  if  she 
were  a  reptile,  and  then  nervously  got  to  his  feet  to  turn 
up  the  gas-jet. 

"  You  are  still  putting  your  money  into  your  news 
paper  ? "  asked  the  physician. 


WORSHIPPERS  215 

"  I  have  about  stopped.  It  is  coming  to  a  paying 
basis  ;  and  now  the  readers  are  helping  to  keep  it  white- 
clean."  Embarrassed  by  Katherine's  curious  eyes,  he 
said  hastily,  "  Of  course  you  lend  all  support  possible  to 
your  own  newspaper." 

"  Oh,  yes.  Unfortunately,  we  are  not  doing  as  much 
work  as  you,  if  numbers  are  anything  of  a  measure," 
said  the  physician. 

Katherine  asked  hesitatingly  of  her  husband,  "  Have 
you  put  in  much  money  ? " 

"  Something  every  week  for  the  last  two  years.  But 
as  I  said,  the  people  are  now  rallying  to  its  support." 

"  You  do  not  tell  each  other  everything,  eh  ?  "  came 
from  the  doctor. 

Raman  said  lamely : 

"  Katherine  is  out  of  sympathy  with  any  radical  move 
ment  ;  and  I  thought  there  was  little  need  of  mentioning 
a  thing  which  was  ceasing  to  be  of  importance  to  me." 

"  Why  did  you  not  make  mention  of  it  ?  "  Katherine 
asked  with  a  touch  of  resentment  in  her  voice,  charing 
at  the  false  light  in  which  she  had  been  placed. 

"  Surely  we  have  sufficient  for  our  needs ! "  he  an 
swered.  "  Why  bother  you  with  details  that  would  be  of 
little  interest  ?  You  preferred  having  material  things 
ignored.  You  see  " — turning  to  the  doctor — "  we  try  to 
keep  an  ideal  level.  We  haven't  talked  money  much, 
except  playfully." 

"  Yes,  that  may  be  well  enough,"  said  Katherine's 
aunt ;  "  but  it  gives  you  a  sort  of  superiority  over  the 
woman.  You  have  a  hold,  which  is  real,  even  if  it  does 
not  loom  large." 

"  I  fear,"  said  the  poet,  "that  you  are  making  a  prob 
lem  out  of  a  solution,  and  a  very  satisfactory  solution 
at  that.  What  do  you  say,  Katherine  ?  " 


216  WORSHIPPERS 

A  quick  glance  from  her  aunt  warned  her  to  be  silent ; 
and  the  doctor  went  on,  "  Excuse  me,  but  it  is  a  problem, 
Mr.  Raman.  Here  are  you  two  trying  the  experiment 
of  building  your  lives  on  ideal  lines  ;  and  yet  you  deceive 
one  another.  Don't  take  offence.  I  am  assuming  what 
your  relations  ought  to  be  in  theory ;  and  as  a  theory  we 
may  fearlessly  examine  it,  may  we  not  ? " 

"  If  you  can  add  any  light,  I  will  be  thankful,"  said 
Raman,  so  dispassionately  that  Katherine,  who  had 
been  studying  the  man  during  the  last  few  days,  was 
uneasy. 

"  I  want  to  ask  you,"  began  the  doctor  inquisitorially, 
"  how  far  you  have  really  gone  towards  accepting  the 
idea  of  the  equality  of  woman  ?  I  know  you  will  claim 
that  you  are  broad-minded  enough.  But  even  the  most 
liberal  thinkers  when  they  come  face  to  face  with  facts 
lose  their  heads.  Your  experience  during  the  months 
you  and  my  niece  have  been  together  should  have  al 
lowed  you  to  draw  certain  conclusions." 

The  poet  suggested  that  she  turn  over  the  files  of  his 
newspaper  if  she  wished  to  ascertain  fully  his  position, 
from  which,  he  assured  her  calmly,  he  had  not  deviated 
a  hair's  breadth.  Otherwise  he  refused  to  discuss  the 
matter,  much  to  Katherine' s  amazement.  So  this  was 
the  seeker  after  truth  ! 

"  I  see,"  said  the  physician  with  a  smile :  "  You  are 
indignant  because  I  consider  you  human." 

And  then,  with  little  consideration  for  the  attainment 
of  the  man,  she  lectured  him,  until  he  felt  like  a  boy  that 
has  been  soundly  spanked,  but  has  not  reached  the  point 
of  complete  humiliation. 

"  It  is  thus  that  we  individualists  rise  superior  to  you," 
said  the  woman  in  conclusion.  Having  accomplished  her 
purpose,  she  was  ready  to  depart.  "  You  needed  some- 


WORSHIPPERS  217 

one  to  point  out  your  deficiencies.  I  almost  guessed  it 
from  Katherine's  hesitation  to  speak  on  many  things. 
Good-bye,  Mr.  Raman." 

He  turned  away,  and  with  his  back  towards  her, 
studied  a  picture  on  the  wall.  She  glanced  almost  com- 
mandingly  at  Katherine,  and  took  her  way  out.  Raman 
resumed  his  seat,  an  odd  light,  almost  of  laughter,  in  his 
eyes. 

Katherine  was  flushed ;  but  so  much  had  she  profited  by 
the  lecture  that  her  gaze  did  not  falter  when  she  turned 
to  him. 

"  Your  worthy  aunt,"  he  began  in  the  blandest  of 
tones,  "  was  highly  amusing.  You  should  have  prepared 
me  for  her  visit  so  that  I  might  have  acted  meekly  enough 
to  have  turned  the  scolding  on  you." 

"  You  seem  very  highly  amused  indeed,"  the  woman 
said  indignantly.  "  I  did  not  commend  your  silence. 
These  are  times  when  you  seem  to  fear  to  enter  into  any 
argument,  even  though  the  other  person  may  carry  off 
a  wrong  impression." 

"  Ah,  you  say  that  as  if  it  is  likely  that  she  bore  off  a 
right  one.  Dear,  our  adjustment — if  you  will  allow  me 
to  use  such  a  word — is  difficult, — really !  A  little  less 
posing  ;  a  little  more  honesty.  You  see,  7  am  lecturing 
now.  You  ought  to  have  my  patience."  The  sad  smile 
disappeared  from  his  face  to  give  place  to  a  frown.  "  We 
can  raise  up  obstacles  without  number,  until  our  path 
will  be  a  difficult  one.  You  know  my  shortcomings  ; — 
you  knew  them  before  your  aunt  pointed  them  out  to 
you.  Try  to  treat  them  mildly ;  for  you  ought  to  re 
member  that  my  work  is  self-centering ;  just  as  your 
ambitions  often  leave  you  silent.  And  I  cannot  measure 
causes  and  effects  exactly." 

"  You  make  it  possible  for  one  to  see  the  justice  of  the 


218  WORSHIPPERS 

doctor's  remarks,"  she  said  bitterly ;  and  began  to  pace 
the  room. 

"  We  see  in  such  cases  just  as  much  as  we  want  to 
see.  But  we  are  quarreling,  dear.  Let  us  stop  where 
we  are.  Except  that  you  must  allow  me  to  say  one 
thing  :  I  do  not  want  to  be  humiliated  by  this  woman. 
If  you  wish  to  have  her  here, — and  of  course  she  is  your 
relative, — time  it  so  that  I  may  be  out  of  the  way.  It 
is  simply  a  favor.  If  it  seems  big  to  you,  remember 
that  a  few  sacrifices  are  often  necessary." 

Katherine  was  inwardly  raging  ;  and  the  fuel  to  the 
flame  was  the  memory  of  his  evening  with  Danvitz. 
How  she  managed  to  keep  her  tongue  under  control  was 
a  mystery  to  her.  She  found  words  to  say  : 

"  Alexander,  you  are  becoming  very  small  indeed." 

"  Yes,  I  have  never  felt  like  this  before.  It  may  be 
because  I  am  at  a  loss  how  to  view  this  evening's  business. 
Somehow  things  holy  to  us  have  been  spread  before 
curious,  unsympathetic  eyes,  and  it  seems  the  balance  is 
gone.  I  will  not  trouble  you  much  with  the  fact  that  I 
am  wretched,  that  you  must  be  wretched.  It  is  late. 
Let  us  hope  that  by  the  morning  we  will  be  calmer,  more 
rational." 

"  I  can  well  do  without  the  superior  tone,"  she  said 
with  hauteur. 

"  Would  you  have  me  put  it  meekly  ?  Would  it  give 
you  a  better  opinion  of  me  ? " 

He  hurried  out  of  the  room  to  his  own,  where  he 
walked  about  panting,  his  hands  twitching  nervously, 
and  his  forehead  damp  with  cold  sweat. 

"A  little  self-control!  A  little  self-control!"  he 
whispered.  But  the  fears  and  doubts  that  tore  him  made 
it  impossible.  Why  was  she  ready  to  precipitate  a  quarrel 
of  such  violence  because  of  a  third  party's  absurdity  ? 


WORSHIPPERS  219 

Why  ready  to  condemn  and  abuse  when  he  had  given  no 
cause  ?  And  he  said  aloud  : 

"  I  have  overlooked  much  ;  I  have  put  up  with  much  ; 
I  have  tried  to  meet  her  at  all  points  with  affection  :  How 
have  I  fallen  short  ?  And  everything  is  full  of  despair. 
We  can  reason  and  weigh,  and  yet  act  like  fools.  Either 
I  exact  too  much,  or  she." 

And  he  wondered  whether  he  really  had  courage  for 
the  realities  of  life,  if  this  was  part  of  them.  Was  he 
inferior  to  other  men  ?  Surely  he  was  losing  strength 
every  time  he  touched  the  ground. 

Unable  to  make  his  way  out  of  the  jungle  of  doubt  he 
wearily  asked,  "  Does  she  love  me  ?  " 

Katherine  in  the  same  moments  was  harping  upon  one 
thing — her  apparent  loss  of  liberty. 

"  He  is  self-contained,  would  bend  me  to  his  will,  has 
no  sympathy,  and  not  a  word  of  encouragement.  I  must 
make  a  good  housewife,  sing  his  praises,  and  be  thankful 
for  a  little  affection." 

Why  had  he  failed  to  controvert  the  doctor? — he 
whose  boast  it  was  that  he  could  reason  out  his  position 
and  take  it  bravely. 

"  What  is  to  be  done  ? "  she  asked,  wringing  her  hands. 
"  Ought  I  have  gone  with  him,  even  if  I  did  love  him  ? 
Does  he  regret  what  he  did  ?  That  must  be  it !  Fool 
that  I  was  not  to  see  the  bald  fact !  That  must  be  it ! 
If  it  is—! " 


220  WORSHIPPERS 


CHAPTER   VII 

PRING,  sure  enough,  Raman,"  said  the  editor 
of  the  paper  for  which  he  wrote  ;  and  looked 
curiously  at  the  man,  who,  the  moment  after  he 
had  entered,  had  fallen  into  a  seat  before  the  window, 
and  was  staring  out  upon  the  busy  street  which  cut  the 
Yiddish  district.  The  editor,  sweeping  his  hand  through 
his  erect  hair,  went  on  to  say,  "  Your  poems  this  month 
are  rather  heavy, — what  few  of  them  you  have  done." 

"  Yes  ? "  came  absently.  Then  Raman  stood  up,  and 
turned  to  him.  "  They  seem  labored,  eh  ?  You  may  be 
interested  in  some  news  I  have.  Do  you  know  what  I 
got  this  morning,  Marson  ?  You  could  never  guess.  A 
letter  from  Friedlander  asking  me  to  call  on  him  *  in  the 
interest  of  some  important  business.' ' 

The  editor  leaned  back,  his  eyes  wide  open  with  amaze 
ment. 

"  Curious  as  to  what  the  rascal  might  be  after,"  the 
poet  went  on,  "  and  desirous  of  telling  him  a  few  plain 
truths,  I  went.  He  wanted  me  to  take  editorial  charge 
of  one  of  his  newspapers.  I  didn't  give  him  the  oppor 
tunity  to  inform  me  which  one.  It  seemed  I  might 
have  my  choice." 

Marson  whistled. 

"  I  told  him  precisely  what  I  thought  of  the  offer  and 
of  him.  Evidently  it  was  no  surprise,  for  he  was  un 
moved.  He  said,  <  Mr.  Raman,  I  heard  you  were  an 
ideal  man  who  never  lost  his  temper.  I  made  you  a 


WORSHIPPERS  221 

business  proposition.  You  turn  it  down.  Good  day, 
sir.'  He  had  the  hardihood  to  put  out  his  hand." 

The  poet  returned  to  his  seat. 

Marson  was  taking  stock  of  the  changes  in  the  man 
before  him.  There  had  been,  for  one  thing,  a  loss  of 
delicacy — so  the  editor  termed  it — which  had  given  place 
to  solidity, — another  of  his  words.  Marson  was  not  dis 
pleased  with  the  modification  ;  but  he  was  sadly  at  a  loss 
to  explain  the  gloom  which  sat  upon  the  handsome  face. 

"  He  thought,"  returned  the  editor — and  Raman  swung 
his  chair  about, — "  that  the  monetary  opportunity  would 
captivate  you.  It  shows  what  a  world  he  moves  in. 
The  dog !  Let  me  use  the  facts  editorially." 

"  No.  Have  another  look  at  it.  It  would  never  do, 
Marson.  The  best  thing  is  to  ignore  him.  Again,  he 
might  flatly  deny  the  whole  thing,  since  his  letter  does  not 
make  clear  his  purpose.  It  would  be  my  word  against  his. 

"  As  you  say.  Only  it  would  be  an  opportunity  to 
strike  at  him  with  advantage.  I  suppose  you  know  the 
new  linotype  machine  goes  in  to-morrow." 

"  And  the  money  ?  "  came  anxiously. 

"  It  is  being  subscribed  better  than  we  expected.  Can 
you  wait  a  month  for  what  we  owe  you,  Raman  ? " 

"Yes,"  said  the  poet  unhesitatingly. 

"  That's  good.  We  got  fifty  dollars  from  the  shirt- 
makers'  union." 

"  Excellent ! " 

And  Raman  fell  to  pacing  the  room,  while  the  editor 
returned  to  his  work. 

"  What  will  she  say  ?  "  had  been  the  tormenting  thought 
which  had  hung  to  the  poet  through  the  great  throngs, 
in  the  newspaper-owner's  office,  in  the  street  again,  and 
here  in  the  presence  of  men  who  loved  him  for  the  sacri 
fices  he  had  made  for  their  cause  in  the  past  years. 


222  WORSHIPPERS 

"  She  will  say  nothing,  because  of  the  foul  way  in 
which  she  and  I  were  treated,"  was  at  odds  with,  "  She 
will  say  that  when  the  enemy  gave  in,  I  should  have  en 
joyed  my  victory,  and  accepted  the  offer." 

Later  he  cried,  "  Has  it  come  to  the  pass  where  I 
must  hesitate  between  right  and  wrong  ?  Then  why 
blame  others  ?  If  she  would  only  see  liow  I  love  her  ! 
And  I  thought  that  I  had  caught  the  trick  of  happiness ! 
Poor  fool ! " 

He  found  his  way  out  of  the  office  with  bare  nods  for 
the  many  who  greeted  him.  Yes,  Spring  was  here  ;  he 
remembered  that  she  had  made  mention  of  the  need  of 
some  new  clothes ;  and  now  he  had  consented  to  wait  a 
month  for  money  ! 

The  elevated  car  seemed  to  whirl  madly  as  he  crouched 
in  a  seat,  blind  to  the  direction  of  his  eyes.  The  wheels 
beat,  "  Unbearable  !  Unbearable  !  Unbearable  !  Un 
bearable  ! "  until  he  shifted  uneasily,  and  smiled  at  the 
childish  weakness. 

"  Am  I  fair  to  her  ?  Am  I  fair  to  her  ?  "  was  the  next 
refrain  of  the  wheels  upon  the  spaces  between  the  rails. 
The  mad  medley  of  his  thoughts  was  hardly  equal  to  an 
answer. 

He  climbed  wearily  out  at  the  station  nearest  his  home. 
At  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  he  started  when  he  saw  Kath- 
erine  alight  from  a  surface  car.  Her  absorption  was  so 
complete  that  she  did  not  notice  him  until  he  came  to  her 
side. 

"  We  will  have  a  cold  dinner,"  she  said.  "  Shall  we 
go  out  instead  ? " 

"  It  matters  little  to  me.  But  on  second  thought, 
better  a  cold  dinner  at  home." — Although  his  timidity 
whispered  to  him  that  to  give  her  the  news  at  a  cafe" 
would  save  him  a  lengthy  exchange  of  words. 


WORSHIPPERS  223 

"  As  you  say.  I  suppose  we  can  find  something  in  the 
house." 

The  rooms  appeared  unusually  bright  with  the  spring 
sunshine.  Raman  lifted  his  head  and  smiled. 

"A  beautiful  day,"  he  said. 

"  Yes,  it  is  very  pleasant." 

"  The  joy  of  growing  things  unrolling  their  buds  to  the 
sun  reaches  strangely  up  to  us." 

She  spread  the  cloth,  and  hunted  up  a  dinner  in  the 
pantry. 

"  I  was  going  to  tell  you,"  began  Raman  as  they  took 
their  seats,  "  that  Friedlander  offered  me  the  editorship 
of  one  of  his  papers." 

"  Ah  !  "  It  was  listless.  "  He  is  not  so  bad  after  all. 
The  money  will  be  of  use,  I  suppose." 

"  I  suppose  you  know  what  paper  I  mean." 

"  Yes,"  she  said  with  an  interrogating  glance. 

"  We  are  not  in  need  as  it  is." 

"  You  mean  to  say — "  she  began  severely  ;  he  finished  : 

"  That  I  refused  the  offer  ?  Certainly.  You  forget 
that  Friedlander  put  our  names  in  big  type  on  the  front 
page." 

"  The  more  reason  that  you  should  become  of  influence 
on  his  paper  to  make  it  decent,"  she  argued  impatiently. 

"  You  seem  to  know  nothing  of  the  newspaper  world," 
he  sighed.  "  He,  not  I,  will  dictate  the  policy  of  the 
paper." 

"  You  must  have  a  say.  Fried — whatever  his  name 
is — knows  your  views,  must  have  known  them  before  he 
made  the  offer.  So  he  realizes  with  whom  he  is  dealing. 
He  has  taken  everything  into  consideration." 

"  I  doubt  it ; — at  least  it  was  doubtful  until  I  saw  him. 
He  thought  he  could  buy  me.  As  he  put  it,  it  was 
merely  a  business  proposition.  He  was  to  pay  me 


224  WORSHIPPERS 

money ;  and  I  was  to  strikingly  phrase  his  views.  It  is 
the  beginning  of  a  scheme  to  bribe  man  after  man  on  our 
newspaper,  now  that  it  has  almost  crawled  to  the  top. 
Of  course  the  idea  was  an  insult  to  me."  The  food  was 
bitter  in  his  mouth.  "  At  present  I  know  no  master, 
except  my  convictions.  I  write  to  please  myself.  Not  a 
line  is  altered,  not  a  word.  There  is  nothing  that  I 
would  exchange  it  for.  Certainly  not  for  an  enlarged  in 
come  that  might  mean  a  few  luxuries." 

"  Of  course  you  will  have  your  way,"  said  the  woman, 
keeping  her  attention  fixed  on  her  plate. 

"  What  would  be  your  way  ? "  he  hazarded. 

"  You  must  remember  that  our  living  expenses  are 
not  small.  A  period  of  sickness,  and  we  would  be 
worrying." 

His  spoon  fell  with  a  clatter  into  his  plate. 

"  My  dear  Katherine,  nothing  that  I  can  think  of  would 
drive  me  to  sell  the  ambition  to  be  honest  to  my  soul, 
not  even  the  fear  of  going  back  to  the  machine  to  make 
a  living  for  both  of  us.  Have  I  not  left  you  to  choose 
your  way  in  your  art  as  you  pleased,  much  as  it  might 
affect  our  lives  ?  Leave  me,  then,  to  my  course.  It  is 
hardly  a  parallel.  Yours  is  a  very  sudden  hostility  to 
what  I  had  long  ago  thought  you  had  accepted.  I  do 
not  stand  in  your  way,  and  have  never  presented  one  ar 
gument  why  I  should." 

"  You  dwell  a  great  deal  on  that.  Shall  I  tell  you 
that  you  looked  your  relief  when  I  came  back  empty- 
handed  ? "  She  threw  it  at  him  madly,  choking  ner 
vously  as  she  did  so. 

"  Yes  ?  Perhaps  I  had  at  heart  our  home,  our  hap 
piness.  Did  you  when  you  frowned  at  my  application  to 
my  work  ?  Listen,  Katherine, — we  are  not  children.  It 
must  not  go  on  in  this  unbearable  way !  It  is  laughable  ! 


WORSHIPPERS  225 

Am  I  to  sit  with  folded  hands  while  you  go  off  to  earn 
our  living  ? " 

"  Why  grow  excited  ? "  she  asked  with  a  shrug. 
"  We  will  learn  to  make  the  best  of  it.  Many  do  so  in 
time." 

She  broke  the  silence  which  followed  by  asking,  "  Have 
you  any  ready  money  ?  I  will  need  the  clothes  I  spoke 
of,  now  that  it  is  getting  warmer." 

"  I  will  have  some  to-morrow." 

He  hurriedly  left  the  house  after  the  meal,  and  walked 
the  streets  until  nightfall,  summing  up  enough  ambition 
to  speak  softly  to  the  woman  when  he  returned.  Her 
carelessness  drove  him  back  to  his  work. 

Next  day  as  Katherine  prepared  to  go  to  the  library, 
— which  she  frequented  more  because  of  the  sense  of  re 
treat  among  books  than  out  of  any  desire  to  do  syste 
matic  reading, — there  was  a  knock  at  the  door,  and  she 
found  herself  face  to  face  with  Robinson. 

She  gave  a  little  cry  of  welcome  to  the  hesitating  man, 
and  put  out  her  hand  quickly. 

"  Do  take  a  seat.  How  good  of  you  to  have  come 
here  !  Some  tea  will  be  ready  soon," — as  he  put  aside 
hat  and  overcoat. — "You  bring  the  atmosphere  of  the 
lang  syne  ! " 

Her  flood  of  questions  did  not  find  him  giving  a 
logical  explanation  for  his  visit  to  New  York ;  and  he 
hastened  to  speak  of  those  in  his  town  who  might  interest 
her. 

"  Did  you  see  Hindman  ?  "  she  asked.  He  was  em 
barrassed  when  he  replied  : 

"  No.  He  was  here,  wasn't  he  ?  I  suppose  he  didn't 
mention  my  name." 

"  No.     Aren't  you  on  good  terms  ?  " 

"  Not  altogether.     It  is  better  so,   since  I  will  have 


226  WORSHIPPERS 

nothing  to  quarrel  about.  He  isn't  a  pleasant  social 
animal." 

"  How  did  you  get  our  address  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  By  telephoning  Mr.  Raman's  paper  this  morning." 

Tea  was  soon  before  the  visitor  who  was  relieved  to 
find  that  his  presence  brightened  the  woman.  He  tried 
to  accustom  himself  to  the  fact  that  she  was  Mrs.  Raman. 

"  The  old  town  must  be  coming  to  life  after  the  winter," 
she  said. 

"  Ah,  yes.  It  is  very  pleasant,  too  ;  except  that  it 
stirs  one  uncomfortably.  Hindman,  no  doubt,  would  ex 
plain  it  as  the  survival  of  a  primitive  instinct :  the  original, 
a  rejoicing  over  the  prospects  of  a  full  meal  and  a  little 
warmth.  You  are  wonderfully  located  for  New  York ; 
— the  river,  the  park.  I  can  see  what  you  make  of  it." 

"  Mr.  Raman's  choice,  that  he  might  have  quiet." 

"  He  is  right,"  said  the  man,  wondering  why  she  was 
unwilling  to  call  it  her  choice  also.  "  The  noise  in  the 
heart  of  the  town  is  not  idyllic.  You  do  not  write  to 
anyone.  Mrs.  Nast  wonders  at  your  neglect  of  her." 

"  Ah,  the  dear  soul !  I  made  up  my  mind  several 
times ;  but  there  was  always  something  in  the  way.  I 
shall  write  to-morrow  !  " 

The  slender  form  seemed  to  hang  dreamily  in  the  chair, 
while  the  man  gazed  his  fill  with  quivering  eyelid.  The 
lines  of  weariness  about  her  mouth  and  on  her  forehead 
heightened  her  attractiveness.  She  was  like  a  tired  child 
that  one  might  caress  into  soft  laughter  and  a  forgetful- 
ness  of  the  world. 

Conscious  of  his  scrutiny,  she  roused  herself  and  said  : 

"  Tell  me, — for  he  and  I  were  good  friends,  and  I  am 
far  from  being  his  enemy — how  does  he  take  it  ?  " 

Her  eagerness  startled  a  multitude  of  thoughts  within 
him,  as  an  alarm  among  a  gathering  of  feathered  creatures. 


WORSHIPPERS  227 

"  Why — well,  he  is  worn  and  bent,  and  seems  little 
like  his  old  self.  He  will — just  to  show  you  how  he  looks 
at  it — have  nothing  to  do  with  Hindman,  and  is  hard 
upon  us  all, — for  no  reason.  I  leave  him  alone." 

«  Yes  ?     He  is  lonely." 

"  I  suppose  he  thinks  you  will  accomplish  more  now, 
since — since  you  have  gone  away.  And  I  suppose  it 
pains  him  to  think  that  he  might  have  been  in  the  way 
— a  burden.  He  believed  in  your  ability  as  an  artist." 

"  Ah,  yes  ;  of  course.  Do  not  doubt  for  a  moment 
that  I  am  not  his  friend.  If  he  came  here,  I  would  re 
ceive  him  as  such.  Although  our  attachment  was  unfor 
tunate  in  every  respect,  I  attach  no  blame.  I  can  see 
things  very  calmly  now.  But  I  am  his  friend,  much  as 
he  would  scorn  the  word." 

"  You  always  were  generous,"  said  the  man.  Then  he 
spoke  admiringly  of  the  comfort  suggested  by  the  rooms. 
Katherine  took  the  opportunity  to  boast  of  the  editorship 
which  Raman  had  refused. 

"  His  principles  above  everything,"  said  the  visitor 
without  any  enthusiasm.  He  had  a  decided  aversion  for 
the  man  who  had  made  such  an  easy  conquest  of  the 
woman.  "  Have  you  tried  to  secure  an  engagement  ? " 

"  It  is  useless,  my  friend.  They  all  seem  to  think  that 
I  can  only  handle  the  more  serious  roles  ;  and  most  of 
the  plays  this  season  have  been  shaped  on  light  lines  after 
all.  But  it  is  a  mistake  :  the  comedy  appeals  to  me.  I 
may  go  back  to  writing.  Perhaps  I  will  succeed." 

"  You  want  so  much,"  was  his  warning  as  he  leaned 
forward  with  a  show  of  sympathy. 

"  Ah,  my  friend,  that's  what  makes  life  so  beautiful. 
Have  we  not  always  said  so  ?  Else  think  of  the  ennui ! 
One's  nature  craves  work  that  is  satisfying,  that  is  a  com 
plete  expression  of  ourselves.  It  is  our  restlessness — 


228  WORSHIPPERS 

the  restlessness  of  the  Jew  which  he  angers  his  Christian 
neighbor  with  by  expending  well  in  business.  We  cry, 
*  Peace  !  Peace  ! '  but  there  is  no  peace.  It  is  in  part 
our  curse." 

"  It  is  indeed  a  curse — the  desire  to  try  new  flights 
every  time  the  sun  rises,"  said  the  man  thoughtfully. 
"  Who  is  satisfied  ?  See  what  a  continual  jostling !  They 
want  to  climb,  and  so  quarrel,  fight,  expect  wonders.  I 
am  a  little  out  of  the  way  now,  though  ready  to  jump  in 
when  the  opportunity  offers.  It  is  the  Oriental  in  us 
playing  with  the  universe.  We  like  big  toys." 

"  You  ought  to  write,"  said  Katherine,  warmed  a  little 
by  the  flow  of  words. 

"  Don't  speak  of  it.  I  would  have  nothing  new  to  say. 
After  all,  why  want  to  cover  pages  with  ink  when  some 
one  else  is  doing  it  better,  when  skill  is  combined  with 
brains.  It  is  true  that  I  am  hungry  for  glory  now  and 
then,  for  the  soft  pat  of  hand  against  hand.  That's 
human.  But  then  I  want  to  fight  on  even  terms.  I  was 
made  to  become  a  dentist ;  I  see  it  written  on  the  cosmic 
dust  out  of  which  the  universe  evolved ;  and  a  dentist  I 
shall  be.  A  good  one  ;  or  perhaps  not.  You  don't 
realize  how  sensible  one  feels  reasoning  in  this  fashion. 
No  Hindman  affair  for  me.  I  shall  gleefully  pull  teeth, 
and  fill  teeth,  and  sport  a  big  shingle,  and  be  happy  when 
they  say  '  Dr.  Robinson.'  It  may  be  prosaic  to  you — " 

"Hideous!     You—!" 

"  Useful,  anyhow."  And  surrendering  his  forced 
mirth,  he  spoke  of  his  impressions  of  the  great  city. 
Katherine  confessed : 

"  I  get  frightened  a  little.  What  a  hilarious  fury  in 
everything  they  do  ! " 

"  Yet  one  feels  the  current  of  sanity  under  it." 

"  You  must   be  influenced  by  the  nearness  of   Mr. 


WORSHIPPERS  229 

Raman's  workshop.  That's  what  he  believes  about  the 
life  all  around  us.  I  cannot  see  the  sanity.  You  are 
simply  trying  to  find  a  meaning  in  madness."  She 
glanced  at  the  clock,  and  said,  "  Would  you  care  to  take 
a  walk  ?  I  would  like  to  get  to  the  park  for  a  few 
hours." 

"  Gladly.     Just  the  day  for  it." 

When  they  were  outside,  she  cried,  "  It  is  indeed 
Spring !  " 

"  Surely  Mr.  Raman  has  reminded  you  of  the  fact  a 
goodly  number  of  times  ! " 

"  Ah,  my  friend,  poets  do  not  always  go  out  of  their 
way  to  put  their  best  in  their  daily  intercourse.  I  do 
not  even  know  when  he  does  his  best.  Such  are  men  of 
talent.  They  are  affectionate  ;  but  that  is  rather  their 
practical  side." 

In  the  park,  leaning  on  his  arm,  speaking  of  serious 
things  in  a  trifling  way,  and  often  finding  reasons  for 
laughter,  she  was  delighted  to  call  him  "  my  friend  ;  "  but 
took  care  not  to  abuse  his  patience  with  her  worries. 
The  green  things  about  her  brought  little  exclamations 
of  pleasure.  She  was  soon  deep  in  a  recital  of  the  events 
of  her  early  years  in  New  York,  when  her  dreams  were 
like  a  surging  flood,  bearing  her  onward  and  upward.  It 
helped  him  to  an  account  of  his  own  youth  ;  from  which 
he  turned  to  remark  that  he  was  growing  old ;  and  then 
hastened  to  belie  the  words  by  a  show  of  childish  light- 
heartedness. 

All  the  while  he  chafed  under  the  burden  of  one 
thought :  she  made  no  mention  of  happiness  as  a  result 
of  the  step  she  had  taken.  Life  seemed  unstable,  and 
bore  an  air  of  useless  experiment. 

Raman  found  him  reading  to  her  when  he  reached 
home,  and  smilingly  extended  his  hand.  He  tried  to 


230  WORSHIPPERS 

ignore  the  shadows  which  seized  upon  the  woman's 
face. 

Suddenly  Katherine,  as  if  desirous  of  showing  him  how 
well  she  could  play  a  part,  grew  animated  and  cheerful, 
and  the  room  rang  with  laughter.  When  the  dishes  were 
cleared  Robinson  sang  to  them  over  the  tea ;  and  soon 
was  discussing  art  with  the  hostess.  It  brought  the 
poet  back  to  his  first  sight  of  Katherine  in  Philadelphia. 

He  saw  the  whole  woman  now.  From  that  hour  she 
ceased  to  be  a  mystery  ;  and  the  events  of  the  last 
months  explained  themselves  in  full. 

He  realized  also  that  he  had  stepped  into  a  new  world. 


WORSHIPPERS  231 


CHAPTER   VIII 

RETURNING  home  one  morning  at  an  earlier 
hour  from  his  journey  down  town  than  was  his 
wont,  Raman  found  Katherine  hastily  drying 
her  eyes.  He  stopped  before  her,  and  she  was  frightened 
when  she  looked  up  at  the  angry  man  who  was  regarding 
her  with  bitterness. 

"  There  is  no  reason  why  you  should  carry  on  like 
this,"  he  said  harshly.  "  It  may  be  that  I  am  doing  you 
an  injustice.  But  there  is  but  one  thing  that  you  could 
tell  me.  I  don't  know  whether  you  are  conscious  that 
it  has  worn  your  life,  chilled  mine,  and  made  us  almost 
strangers.  I  think  I  have  a  perfect  right  to  speak  of  it. 
I  want  to  take  the  opportunity  before  it  is  too  late.  I  am 
hoping  it  is  not  too  late." 

"  Why  bring  up  the  subject  at  all  ? "  she  asked  coldly. 
"  I  believe  you  know  my  mind.  At  least  I  never  made 
a  pretence  of  concealing  it." 

"  I  suppose  you  long  ago  decided  that  you  would  not 
be  tempted  by  the  prospect  of  making  a  home — a  real 
home,  where  you  might  surround  yourself  with  friends — " 

"  I  am  not  the  wife  of  a  little  merchant.  You  forget 
my  ambition,"  was  her  answer,  flung  at  him  almost  with 
defiance. 

He  could  have  laughed  in  her  face. 

"  Were  I  to  find  opportunities  for  eating  out  my  heart, 
I  would  shirk  the  responsibility;  although  I  do  not 
know  that  I  have  shirked  it." 


232  WORSHIPPERS 

"  That  may  be  very  funny,  Alexander,"  said  the  woman, 
trembling.  "  Certain  things  have  become  rather  amus 
ing  and  trivial  to  you  of  late.  At  the  beginning — " 

"  At  the  beginning  I  said  nothing  that  I  take  another 
view  of  now." 

"  Of  course :  you  doubted  my  worth  from  the  very 
beginning.  You  did  not  want  me  as  a  comrade,  but  as  a 
woman  who  would  truckle  to  your  every  whim.  You 
doubted  me.  Could  you  not  have  taken  the  intensity  of 
my  ambition  into  consideration,  and  not  have  waited  all 
this  time  to  tell  me  that  I  was  useless.  O  my  God  ! " 
She  wrung  her  hands.  "  And  then  to  deride  me  before 
others  !— " 

"  Before  others  ?  " 

"  It  may  be  that  Danvitz  is  dearer  to  you  than  I — " 

So  the  door  was  not  closed  that  evening  !  He  crim 
soned  as  if  caught  in  the  very  act  of  making  the  confes 
sion  to  his  friend. 

"  What  you  heard  was  an  honest  statement,  a  state 
ment  that  my  silence  up  to  then  made  clear  enough. 
You  ought  to  know  that  I  asked  you  to  come  to  me  be 
cause  I  loved  you.  I  did  not  stop  to  consider  your  am 
bitions.  It  would  have  been  very  absurd.  And  you 
have  been  playing  a  farce  until  it  is  almost  tragedy.  I 
never  knew  I  had  so  much  patience.  Almost  as  much 
as  you,  Katherine." 

"  I  suppose  you  feel  warmly  towards  me,"  she  said  with 
a  sneer. 

"  The  simple  truth  is  that  I  love  you.  Do  you  dislike 
the  word  ?  You  seem  to  forget  what  you  and  I  have 
gone  through  because  of  it.  It  seems  a  mockery  now, 
no  doubt.  It  is  only  when  strangers  come  that  you 
make  an  effort  to  appear  cheerful." 

"  You  mean,"  she  cried,  "  that  it  is  to  please  them  ? 


WORSHIPPERS  233 

Perhaps  you  are  going  to  throw  the  visit  of  Mr.  Robin 
son  up  to  me.  Why  not  have  someone  watch  me  ?  " 

"  How  dare  you  accuse  me  of  meaning  what  I  would 
never  have  dreamt  of  thinking ! "  He  brought  his  fist 
down  heavily  on  the  table. 

She  suddenly  threw  her  head  back,  and  said  very 
quietly : 

"  It  is  all  getting  to  be  pretty  bad  isn't  it  ?  " 

They  looked  at  each  other  for  a  moment ;  and  their 
silence  was  more  eloquent  than  all  their  words. 

Taking  his  hat,  Raman  went  out. 

For  some  time  Katherine  lay  back  in  a  chair,  and  then 
went  to  the  window,  fascinated  by  the  water  sparkling 
in  the  sunlight.  Gruesome  things  suggested  themselves 
to  the  overwrought  mind.  She  played  on  the  possibili 
ties  ;  shut  her  eyes  to  see  a  multitude  of  pictures  ;  went 
as  far  as  to  have  Raman  pacing  the  room  wildly ;  and 
even  heard  his,  "  Why  did  I  drive  her  to  it  ? " — and  was 
startled  by  the  striking  of  the  clock. 

She  stood  up  with  a  sigh,  and  hunted  among  the  books 
for  something  that  would  be  in  keeping  with  the  grim- 
ness  of  the  hour.  At  last  she  went  to  his  room. 

On  its  threshold  she  paused  to  cry,  "  It  is  here  that 
he  lives  !  Nowhere  else  !  Nowhere  else  !  " 

She  remembered  where  he  had  placed  the  letters  of 
the  infatuated  girl  who  had  driven  him  to  Philadelphia  ; 
and  she  set  to  work  to  turn  over  his  papers,  but  found 
nothing  except  a  photograph  of  herself. 

Among  the  unfinished  work  under  her  eye  there  were 
but  few  lines  of  verse.  Standing,  she  read  a  page  of  an 
article  he  had  been  preparing.  It  was  fitful,  lacked 
strength,  and  would  leap  into  paragraphs  of  violent  lan 
guage  almost  without  reason.  His  work  was  unquestion 
ably  deteriorating. 


234  WORSHIPPERS 

"  His  attitude  towards  me  is  worrying  him,"  she  de 
cided. 

He  returned  to  find  her  preparing  supper  with  a  quiet 
ness  of  demeanor  and  lack  of  ill-humor  that  surprised 
him. 

She  met  him  in  the  same  way  during  succeeding 
weeks ;  but  their  words  were  brief.  The  man  lost  the 
hold  upon  his  work,  and  struggled  for  clearness  of 
thought  against  a  blurring  of  meaning  that  wasted  the 
pages  for  him.  In  desperation  he  cut  down  the  number 
of  columns  he  contributed  to  the  paper. 

He  took  up  the  play  which  he  had  outlined  after  his 
conversation  with  Danvitz.  To  his  amazement  it  proved 
an  absorbing  task. 

Those  who  visited  the  couple  did  not  come  to  the 
rooms  again,  and  rumors  were  rife  in  New  York  about 
the  unpleasant  relations  of  the  poet  and  the  woman 
whom  he  had  taken  to  himself.  Soon  the  rooms  were 
deserted  during  many  hours  of  the  day.  Antagonism 
and  weariness  brought  matters  to  the  breaking  point. 

Late  one  afternoon  he  came  home  in  brighter  mood 
than  was  habitual  with  him  ;  but  as  one  hour  after  an 
other  dragged  by  without  any  sign  of  Katherine,  he 
grew  sober  and  troubled,  and  was  soon  busy  with  con 
jectures.  The  darkening  of  the  rooms  as  the  day  waned 
found  him  lying  on  a  couch  muttering  to  himself.  He 
was  pale,  and  his  pulse  beat  feverishly  as  he  tried  to 
prove  that  her  step  was  a  wise  one. 

"  Oh,  what  a  hideous  thing  two  beings  can  make  of 
this  world  !  "  he  moaned.  "  I  love  her  !  I  love  her  !  " 

He  lashed  himself  without  mercy  in  his  effort  to  do 
justice  to  the  woman,  until  he  desisted  because  reason 
refused  to  countenance  the  tearing  to  shreds  of  his  nor 
mal  life  to  cover  a  theory. 


WORSHIPPERS  235 

He  thought  of  telephoning  to  Dr.  Isfeld,  but  a  sudden 
inspiration  sent  him  to  the  clothes  closet.  It  required 
but  a  glance  to  ascertain  the  truth.  A  suit-case  was 
missing,  and  some  of  Katherine's  belongings. 

Despite  the  months  of  wearing  differences,  his  love 
for  the  woman  had  not  lessened ;  and  when  he  fell 
asleep,  it  was  only  a  truce  with  body-racking  moments. 
He  awoke  to  bewilderment  and  anguish. 

Tremblingly  he  awaited  the  first  delivery  of  mail,  cer 
tain  that  she  would  write  in  defence  of  her  conduct. 

He  was  not  mistaken.     The  letter  was  there. 

She  had  been  brief. 

"  I  have  left  you  ;  because  I  believe  there  was  no  other 
thing  to  do,  so  much  having  poisoned  our  lives.  It  was 
getting  unbearable  :  you  with  your  heart  and  soul  mainly 
for  your  work,  and  your  doubts  for  mine.  It  was  not 
the  sort  of  comradeship  that  makes  life  pleasant. 

"  My  experience  has  been  a  little  costly.  I  think  I 
can  bear  with  what  the  world  will  say  without  feeling 
that  it  is  punishment.  I  have  no  use  for  the  word. 

"  Dr.  Isfeld  has  loaned  me  money  with  which  to  leave 
the  city.  Be  fair  to  her.  She  is  a  noble  woman,  who 
approves  of  my  conduct,  although  it  was  not  she  who  saw 
the  necessity  of  it,  since  she  could  not  have  known  all. 

"  Do  not  for  a  moment  imagine  that  you  are  the 
wronged  one.  Despite  your  supposed  breadth  of  view,  I 
was  only  to  be  a  source  of  amusement :  to  supply  a  smile 
for  your  weary  hours,  an  encouraging  word  for  your  de 
pressed  ones,  and,  of  course,  a  worshipping  attitude  for 
your  working  ones.  Examine  your  conduct,  and  you 
will  find  it  to  have  been  thus. 

"  I  have  tried  to  treat  this  in  unprejudiced  fashion. 
But  when  one  realizes  how  big  my  ambitions  are,  and 
how  little  your  faith,  it  makes  even  friendshi  :>  impos 
sible. 

"  We  must  go  our  own  ways  again.     For  you  it  will 


236  WORSHIPPERS 

be  no  hardship.  There  will  be  many  who  will  sing  your 
praises,  and  have  a  good  word  for  you.  Let  me  tell 
you  that  as  a  writer  you  will  never  succeed  until  you 
will  be  able  to  enter  heart  and  soul  into  another's  posi 
tion.  Your  sympathies  to-day  are  really  a  protest  against 
what  gives  you  pain. 

"I  have  been  moderate  and  even-tempered.  You 
know  I  have  !  Can  you  deal  as  well  by  me  ? " 

"What  relief  she  must  have  felt  at  leaving  me  to 
have  penned  so  calm  a  letter  !  "  he  reflected.  "  But  it 
was  madness.  Unstable,  fickle  character  !  Having  tried 
the  trick  once,  she  tries  it  again.  It  was  not  brave. 
She  refuses  to  stop  and  think." 

He  reread  the  words,  and  pronounced   them   flippant. 

"  She  is  delighted  to  be  able  to  make  the  situation  a 
sort  of  battlefield  of  temperaments.  Child's  play  !  " 

It  was  a  few  days  before  he  could  recover  self-possession 
enough  to  face  those  he  knew.  He  easily  explained  his 
pallor  : 

"  I  have  not  felt  well.  New  York  does  not  seem  to 
agree  with  me.  We  are  seriously  thinking  of  going  to 
Boston  for  the  next  few  months." 

No  one  doubted  the  words.  They  were  relieved  to 
learn  that  he  would  often  come  up  to  the  city  ;  and  some 
even  commended  the  step  he  was  taking. 

With  great  quietness  he  disposed  of  the  furniture,  and 
made  ready  to  depart.  Rudov,  the  last  man  he  met,  told 
him  : 

"  You  have  aged  five  years  in  the  last  two  months. 
You  take  married  life  too  seriously." 

"I  never  was  more  satisfied  than  I  am  now,"  came 
with  a  laugh. 


PART    III 

WORSHIPPERS 


WORSHIPPERS  239 


CHAPTER  I 

DR.  ISFELD,  willing  to  aid  in  the  removal  of 
the  "yoke,"  had  supplied  Katherine  with  funds 
sufficient  for  several  months.      And  the  young 
woman  had  been  busy  with  correspondence  whose  object 
it  was  to  bring  her  talent  to  the  attention  of  the  manager 
of  a  stock  company  in  Philadelphia.     The  organization 
yearly  presented  a  series  of  farces  during  the  summer 
months  to  fun-loving,  artificially-cooled  audiences. 

She  almost  collapsed  with  delight  when  a  letter  ar^ 
rived  informing  her  of  the  likelihood  of  an  opening  in  the 
company. 

"  It  must  be  that  the  press  comments  on  my  first  ap 
pearance  in  Philadelphia  won  my  case  for  me,"  she  de 
cided.  "  God  in  heaven,  is  it  possible  that  at  last  I  have 
made  a  beginning  !  I  do  not  care  how  small  it  is  !  " 

Her  aunt  excused  the  tears  of  happiness  which  the 
ambitious  woman  shed. 

"You  now  have  your  complete  independence,"  she 
told  her.  "  It  is  better  to  earn  one's  living,  than  to  have 
it  earned  for  one.  No  hanger-on  to  a  man  !  You  have 
made  more  mistakes  than  many  women  of  your  years. 
We  will  see  whether  you  will  profit  by  them.  I  would 
detest  you  if  I  dreamt  that  you  regretted  having  taken 
this  step." 

"  No  !  No  !  I  do  not !  Believe  me  !  "  And  Kath 
erine  smiled  exultantly  through  her  tears.  "  It  would 
hurt  him  if  he  got  to  know  that  I  have  made  a  start. 


240  WORSHIPPERS 

But  I  can  bide  my  time.  Of  course  the  salary  will  be 
trifling.  It  makes  no  difference,  however.  I  will  get 
along  on  it.  The  future  shines  clear  now.  The  experi 
ence  in  farce  work  is  what  I  needed  ;  and  the  notices 
will  prove  that  I  am  capable  of  something  else  than 
heavy  parts." 

The  other  woman,  who  seemed  entirely  at  home  among 
the  specimens  of  dissected  and  aborted  life,  was  loath 
to  disturb  her  dreams. 

"  You  must  taste  of  the  sweetness  of  a  free  existence," 
she  impressed  upon  Katherine ;  and  was  considerate 
enough  to  withhold  her  sneering  view  of  the  status  of 
the  American  stage. 

Katherine,  in  the  last  hours,  wearied  by  what  she 
called  the  "  unbridled  materialism  "  of  her  aunt,  rode  the 
length  of  the  city  to  the  Battery,  choosing  a  car  line  far 
removed  from  the  route  of  Raman's  travel.  She  sought 
a  bench,  and  watched  the  incoming  and  outgoing  steamers, 
the  ferryboats,  the  broad,  yellow,  rippling  beam  running 
out  to  the  sun,  and  the  light-bathed  statue  of  the  goddess. 

Philadelphia  the  next  day  !  Fear  and  joy  mingled  in 
the  thought.  There  was  danger  of  laughter,  sneers, 
abuse.  She  would  isolate  herself !  It  must  prove  hard ; 
but  had  not  that  been  the  condition  of  affairs  during  the 
last  months  ? 

She  gritted  her  teeth  with  hatred  of  the  man.  No,  he 
would  make  no  noise.  It  was  a  blow  to  his  pride.  He 
must  have  thrown  himself  into  his  work  with  fury  to  for 
get  Her.  Ah,  she  had  been  too  kind  in  the  letter  she 
had  sent  him  !  too  kind  !  If  the  world  but  knew  what 
manner  of  man  he  was ! 

She  asked  herself  how  it  was  possible  that  she  had 
been  carried  away  by  his  pretty  phrases  and  his  pose. 

Yes,  life  was   hideous  when    thoroughly  understood. 


WORSHIPPERS  241 

There  it  was  masking  itself  in  the  great  city  behind  her. 
But  were  these  humanitarians  better  ?  They,  too,  liked 
their  ease  and  their  flesh-pots ;  although  ready  with  a 
sigh  for  the  world's  wretchedness. 

She  was  quickly  won  from  her  angry  mood,  and  gazed 
out  upon  the  sunlit  expanse  of  water  with  hope-touched 
eyes.  After  all,  she  had  youth  and  strength !  Why 
not  look  upon  the  past  as  a  complete  mistake,  and  put  it 
by  in  accepting  the  new  opportunity  which  life  granted  ? 
If  she  was  to  save  anything  out  of  the  wreck,  let  it  be 
the  lesson  of  martyrdom.  Her  aunt  was  justified  in  the 
statement  that  to  be  free  one  must  beware  of  half-way 
measures  that  sapped  one's  strength. 

When  she  was  on  her  way  to  the  place  which  she 
had  meaninglessly  termed  "  home "  for  a  week,  her 
dreams  were  of  appreciative  audiences,  and  flattering 
press  notices,  the  latter  to  pave  the  way  for  success  in 
the  following  winter.  How  she  would  work  ! 

She  hardly  closed  her  eyes  in  sleep  that  night;  and 
studied  her  pale,  eager  face  in  the  mirror  with  pity  next 
morning. 

"  Yes,  I  have  suffered,"  she  mused.  "  It  would  be 
absurd  if  I  was  not  grateful  for  the  fact." 

She  listened  to  her  aunt's  lecture  with  a  proper  air  of 
humility,  though  painfully  bored,  and  was  chary  of  words 
of  gratitude  for  the  aid  rendered  her. 

Dr.  Isfeld  was  left  a  little  thoughtful  when  her  niece 
departed. 

"  I  do  not  know  her,"  she  confessed.  "  Still,  she  has 
been  very  unfortunate." 

On  her  way  to  the  train  Katherine  was  worried  by  the 
fear  that  Raman  might  be  hanging  about  the  railway  sta 
tions.  But  she  was  soon  laughing  at  the  preposterous 
notion. 


242  WORSHIPPERS 

"  He  could  have  gone  to  Dr.  Isfeld's  office,"  she  rea 
soned.  "  It  is  curious  how  I  am  trembling.  I  ought  to 
have  slept  well  last  night.  What  if  I  were  on  the  verge 
of  a  physical  breakdown  ?  It  is  nonsense.  I  am  simply 
excited." 

She  found  a  rear  seat  in  the  last  of  the  railway  coaches, 
and  kept  down  the  blind  until  the  train  pulled  out. 

The  flying  landscape  revived  memories  of  her  ride  to 
New  York  with  Raman.  She  smiled  at  their  shyness 
which  had  made  conversation  impersonal ;  and  then 
frowned  at  the  imbecility  that  had  furnished  them  ideal 
pictures  of  the  future.  In  analyzing  the  joy  of  those 
hours  she  found  it  convenient  to  speak  of  her  release 
from  a  "  soul-destroying  carelessness."  But  her  mood 
soon  proved  kinder  to  Bronski. 

"  Robinson  was  right  when  he  accidentally  pointed  out 
that  this  man  at  least  believed  in  my  future  ;  he  gave  his 
heart  and  soul  to  my  dreams,  and  asked  nothing,  accepting 
my  failures  in  the  noblest  light.  He  believed  in  me." 

She  bemoaned  the  fact  that  she  had  not  written  to 
Mrs.  Nast  when  she  considered,  "  In  thus  beginning  all 
over  again,  to  whom  can  I  turn  ?  Who  would  not  fling 
the  door  in  my  face  ?  " 

But  she  drew  a  deep  breath,  and  fought  the  first  wave 
of  discouragement  with  the  thought :  "  I  can  put  them 
all  aside.  No  toadying.  My  needs  will  be  few,  and  I 
will  be  brave." 

A  train  passing  in  the  opposite  direction  with  thunder 
ing  speed,  furnished  her  with  an  analogy  for  her  relations 
to  Raman. 

"  Gone  out  of  my  life  !  He  will  be  doing  his  work  a 
little  better  perhaps.  But  he  can  never  succeed  in  a  big 
way.  It  was  wise  to  point  that  out  in  my  letter  to  him, 
since  he  will  remember  that,  when  he  forgets  everything 


WORSHIPPERS  243 

else.     He  can  find  some  fool  to  be  his  inspiration.     No, 
I  will  never  make  a  mistake  like  that  again  !  " 

She  was  rebellious  against  the  pang  of  jealousy  which 
shot  through  her  at  the  thought  of  another  woman  tak 
ing  her  place  in  Raman's  existence. 

"  The  day  of  my  success  will  arouse  him  to  the  wrong 
he  has  done  me.  My  name  will  be  dinned  in  his  ears  ; 
and  men  will  learn  to  know  him.  I  can  patiently  bear 
the  few  years  between  myself  and  recognition." 

Green  fields  hinted  that  summer  days  would  render 
her  work  exacting. 

"  I  ought  to  have  gotten  more  sleep  last  night,"  she 
repeated  with  a  laugh. 

Her  heart  throbbed  when  Philadelphia  came  into 
view,  and  she  was  restless  in  her  seat  until  the  depot  ap 
peared.  Then  she  put  back  her  shoulders,  smiled  a 
little,  and  alighting,  slowly  took  her  way  to  the  news 
stand  for  a  paper.  In  her  search  for  a  room,  she  hit 
upon  one  far  to  the  north  of  the  city,  and  out  of  reach 
of  the  Jewish  quarter. 

"  It  will  mean  loneliness  ;  but  books  will  help,  and  the 
parks,  and  my  work.  I  mustn't  think  of  it !  " 

The  end  of  her  ride  on  a  street  car  brought  her  into 
the  heart  of  the  textile  district.  Clattering  looms  sud 
denly  paused  as  the  dinner  whistle  sounded,  and  lines  of 
stooped,  pale  men  and  women  trailed  out  of  the  mills  to 
their  meals.  Their  appearance  almost  decided  her  against 
the  neighborhood  ;  but  her  impatience  to  be  at  the  theatre 
hurried  her  to  a  conclusion. 

The  little  grim  Englishwoman  who  showed  her  the 
room  evinced  so  great  uneasiness  when  Katherine  proudly 
made  known  her  profession  that  it  amused  the  seeker 
after  histrionic  honors.  With  the  proffer  of  a  month's 
rent,  the  woman's  scruples  vanished.  Katherine  said  : 


244  WORSHIPPERS 

"  Ah,  my  friend,  there  is  a  big  world  outside  our 
prejudices." 

The  other  nervously  fingered  the  money,  and  was 
silent. 

Leaving  her  suit  case,  Katherine  hurried  away  from 
the  depressing  atmosphere  of  cheap  prints,  rag  carpet, 
and  stiff-backed  chairs. 

"  I  certainly  never  viewed  the  stage  in  the  light  of 
orthodox  morality !  Of  course  there  must  be  many 
people  like  that.  A  godly  woman  who  is  certain  I  am 
damned  ;  and  her  hell  has  a  devil  with  a  long  tail,  and  a 
pitchfork,  and  a  lake  of  molten  sulphur.  How  queer ! 
And  those  mill-workers  !  They  looked  ready  to  tumble 
into  the  grave.  Why  should  one  want  to  waste  sym 
pathy  over  them  when  they  don't  care  for  themselves  ? 
A  hideous  neighborhood,  but  enough  out  of  the  way  to 
satisfy  me.  Later  we  shall  see  about  something  better. 
What  if  I  run  against  somebody  I  know  ?  Ah,  well,  I 
will  have  to  meet  them  sooner  or  later." 

Her  mind  flew  on  in  this  fashion  as  she  took  her  way 
to  the  theatre,  and  she  resorted  to  varied  tricks  of  the 
imagination  for  courage  to  face  the  manager. 

After  the  interview  with  him  she  was  a  little  numbed. 
The  small,  grey  eyes  that  had  swept  her  body  had  not 
helped  her  in  her  confusion,  and  the  bored  air  with  which 
her  nervous  flow  of  words  had  been  met  robbed  her 
completely  of  her  dignity. 

She  was  not  roused  when  the  manager  fixed  her  sal 
ary,  for  there  was  no  definite  promise  that  she  would  be 
used  every  week.  A  list  of  the  plays  to  be  offered  that 
summer  interested  her  somewhat.  Then  came  a  curt 
nod  ;  and  she  sought  the  street  with  unsteady  gait. 

She  went  back  to  her  room,  and  slept  soundly  the 
rest  of  the  afternoon. 


WORSHIPPERS  245 


CHAPTER  II 

REHEARSALS  proved  unsatisfactory  to  the  am 
bitious  woman  whose  meagre  lines  did  not  re 
quire  subtilty  of  interpretation,   or  very  close 
study  ;  and  finding  that  she  was  making  no  headway  in 
interesting  the  manager,  she  ceased  to  give  much  atten 
tion  to  her  work. 

It  was  easy  to  hold  aloof  from  the  members  of  the 
company  whom  she  considered  beneath  her.  They,  on 
their  side,  found  her  a  tiresome  talker,  and  were  impa 
tient  with  her  statuesque  poses. 

She  ceased  to  write  Dr.  Isfeld  when  a  letter  from 
that  quarter  spoke  at  some  length  of  the  unanimity  with 
which  the  individualists  had  supported  her  action.  It 
meant  a  bruiting  abroad  of  what  Katherine  would  fain 
have  kept  suppressed  for  some  time ;  although  the  spirit 
with  which  she  had  left  New  York  had  encouraged  her 
aunt  to  take  the  step. 

When  the  news  reached  Raman's  friends  that  Kath 
erine  had  broken  with  him,  they  were  vehement  in  their 
denial,  unable  to  credit  the  fact.  But  their  letters  found 
him  silent. 

Bitter  at  the  way  he  had  played  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy,  Marson  and  the  other  heads  of  the  newspaper  to 
which  the  poet  contributed,  hesitated  to  take  up  the  gage 
of  battle.  Eventually  Marson  volunteered  to  see  Fried- 
lander,  the  owner  of  the  opposition  press,  whom  he  in 
formed  that  if  his  papers  went  beyond  the  bounds  of 


246  WORSHIPPERS 

decency  in  discussing  the  matter,  it  would  be  made 
known  to  the  world  that  the  position  of  editor  had  been 
offered  the  poet. 

Friedlander  laughed  at  the  threat ;  but  his  account  of 
the  affair  was  sufficiently  toned  down  to  satisfy  Raman's 
friends. 

The  poet  himself  was  careful  not  to  allow  a  Yiddish 
paper  to  cross  the  distance  between  New  York  and 
Boston.  But  it  was  not  long  before  a  letter  from  him 
reached  Hindman.  It  said  in  part : 

"  You  know  what  has  happened.  Can  you  tell  me 
whether  Katherine  is  in  Philadelphia  ?  I  want  to  know 
what  has  become  of  her  ....  I  will  ask  you  to  with 
hold  this  from  others." 

Hindman  tempered  his  quality  of  justice  with  mercy, 
and  wrote : 

"  She  has  entered  upon  the  sad  work  of  being  funny  at  a 
theatre  here  which  presents  farces  for  the  summer.  There 
is  neither  glory  nor  money  in  it.  I  cannot  see  what  she  is 
after  in  this  case  but  the  money.  More  I  do  not  know." 

Further  word  did  not  come  from  Boston ;  and  Hind 
man  was  irritated  at  the  poet's  refusal  to  explain,  be 
moan,  or  rage.  He  gained  some  satisfaction  by  attend 
ing  a  performance  in  which  Katherine  had  some  two 
dozen  lines  as  her  part.  Later  he  learned  that  she  was 
a  frequent  visitor  at  Mrs.  Nast's  house. 

She  had  not  found  her  isolation  bearable ;  and  her 
hunger  for  someone  in  whom  she  might  confide  drove 
her  in  a  rain-storm  to  her  old  friend. 

Katherine  said,  "  I  come  to  you  after  a  month's  loneli 
ness  to  prove  your  former  love  for  me." 

The  tears  ran  down  the  little  woman's  cheek,  and  she 
clung  to  the  two  hands  she  had  seized.  Then  as  Kath- 


WORSHIPPERS  247 

erine  burst  into  sobs,  Mrs.  Nast  put  her  arms  about  her, 
and  spoke  soothing  words. 

"  O  my  friend,"  cried  the  young  woman,  "you  alone 
understand  what  I  have  gone  through  ! " 

"  I  know  !  I  know  !  I  can  read  your  heart  like  a  book. 
You  did  right  in  coming  to  me.  To  think  that  this  quiet 
man  would  prove  unsympathetic  and  a  tyrant ! "  Mrs. 
Nast  sighed,  and  suddenly  cried,  "  Ah,  you  will  see  how 
glad  the  doctor  will  be  to  find  you  here  !  We  spoke  of 
you  every  day.  I  shall  tell  everyone  that  you  have  been 
here.  I  am  proud  of  you  !  Ah  !  Ah  !  How  strange  the 
world  is  !  Only  music  is  certain." 

She  exploited  the  opportunity  at  the  piano. 

"  You  are  very  good,"  breathed  Katherine  when  she 
had  finished.  "  How  absurd  of  me  to  have  stayed  away 
so  long !  Yours  is  a  heart  of  gold." 

"  Yes,  you  should  have  trusted  me.  How  pale  you 
are ! " 

"  I  have  not  been  myself  for  months.  And  the  last 
days  I  have  not  been  able  to  think  at  all.  It  seemed 
that  the  whole  world  was  up  in  arms  against  me.  I  was 
afraid,  miserably  afraid." 

"  Well,  well,  human  nature  is  deceptive.  Although  you 
have  not  done  anything  that  was  unusual,  you  must  remem 
ber  that  we  are  living  among  people  without  ideals,  who 
get  enthusiastic  only  when  they  have  something  to  eat." 

She  continued  in  the  same  strain  ;  and  never  had  lan 
guage  sounded  more  exalted  to  the  ears  of  the  sighing 
woman.  The  few  hours  she  spent  in  the  house  that 
evening  compensated  for  the  weeks  of  heartache. 

Miserable  with  the  summer  heat,  Katherine  soon  found 
the  rehearsals  unbearable  ;  and  her  discomfort  was  not 
lessened  by  the  manager's  exaction  that  she  clownishly 
exaggerate  her  parts. 


248  WORSHIPPERS 

More  and  more  it  became  a  question  of  what  she 
would  do  at  the  end  of  summer.  She  was  frightened  by 
the  thought  of  going  to  her  aunt  for  assistance,  and  be 
gan  to  put  aside  a  few  dollars  a  week  ;  only  to  relinquish 
the  effort  when  she  hastily  cast  up  the  sum  which  might 
thus  be  spared.  To  Mrs.  Nast  she  made  no  mention  of 
the  despair  in  her  outlook. 

On  her  way  to  the  car  from  rehearsal  one  morning  she 
chanced  upon  Robinson  who  paused,  although  he  immedi 
ately  regretted  the  action.  Her  composure  helped  him 
to  commonplaces,  and  he  was  soon  so  much  at  ease,  that 
he  asked  her  to  have  dinner  with  him. 

"  If  you  will  let  me  pay  my  share,"  she  said  quietly. 

"  Oh,  I  am  comparatively  well  to  do.  One  might  al 
most  call  it  prosperous — for  me.  An  undergraduate  gets 
lots  of  dental  work  from  friends,  you  know." 

"  And  you  have  always  had  many,"  she  said. 

"Trust  me  to  know  it." 

She  followed  him  into  a  cafe",  although  his  lordly  air 
was  not  at  all  to  her  liking.  When  he  finished  giving 
the  order,  he  turned  to  her  with  the  words  : 

"  I  saw  you  in  last  week's  play.  They  handle  the 
farce  excellently, — so  excellently  that  I  was  lost  in  the 
story  even  when  you  came  out.  It  was  certainly  side 
splitting.  I  positively  believe  I  was  a  different  man  when 
I  went  away." 

"  Yes  ?  It  must  always  be  a  pleasure  to  those  who  see 
the  finished  work.  We  get  our  laugh,  and  then  we  forget." 

He  looked  at  her  almost  severely,  and  got  out  with 
more  courage  than  she  expected  : 

"  Do  we  ?  " 

"  Suppose,  then,  you  tell  me  what  my  former  friends 
are  saying  about  my  leaving  New  York.  I  am  sure  you 
remember  everything  they  tell  you." 


WORSHIPPERS  249 

"  What  can  you  expect  them  to  say  ?  Blame  them  for 
wishing  the  world  went  a  little  more  quietly  !  " 

"  Ah,  my  friend,  if  we  cannot  live  our  lives  to  our  own 
satisfaction,  why  wish  to  live  at  all  ?  We  are  not  here 
to  bolster  up  a  theory.  It  is  true  that  we  make  mis 
takes.  And  we  repeat  them.  And  it  is  true  that  to 
undo  the  second  mistake  is  often  harder  than  the  first. 
But  it  is  the  only  way  to  ascend  to  a  nobler  view  of  one's 
self.  That  is  something." 

She  felt  that  her  plea  was  forced,  and  found  her  words 
at  random  as  she  proceeded.  In  a  short  time  she  was 
halted  by  the  thought,  "  Why  argue  at  all,  since  he  does 
not  wish  to  understand  ?  " 

"  What  does  it  matter  ? "  asked  the  man  with  a  sugges 
tion  of  a  sneer  :  "  You  are  happy." 

"  True  !  "  she  said,  nodding  brightly,  although  she  was 
furious.  "  You  do  not  reason  like  the  mob,  that  hideous 
mob  which  sees  only  what  is  on  the  surface,  and  knows 
not  that  there  is  a  heart  and  soul  to  every  human  being. 
I  am  glad  that  you  frown  down  the  idea  that  a  woman 
should  be  a  man's  toy.  No,  I  am  not  a  silly  hero- 
worshipper  who  forgets  self  to  the  degrading  point." 

"  Of  course  you  know  what  you  are  doing,"  he  said. 

"  Do  not  doubt  it  for  a  moment.  I  reasoned  out  my 
position  thoroughly,  although  the  world  will  never  allow 
that  a  woman  can  do  so.  It  never  meets  the  woman 
half  way  anyhow,  since  it  is  man's  and  brutal.  I  will 
admit  that  Mr.  Raman  was  as  liberal  as  the  best ;  and 
yet  he  was  to  stand  up,  and  I  was  to  fawn.  In  fact,  so 
little  respect  had  he  for  my  ambitions  that  he  thought  I 
was  trifling.  Do  you  understand  how  that  can  shrivel 
up  the  soul,  and  freeze  the  heart,  and  bring  revolt  ?  Do 
they  occasionally  have  pity  for  the  under-dog  ?  Why, 
then,  should  they  resent  if  that  under-dog  shakes  itself 


250  WORSHIPPERS 

free  ?  At  worst  it  would  mean  a  happier  ordering  of  the 
world." 

The  man  did  not  take  his  eyes  from  his  plate. 

"  We  are  sometimes  too  hasty  about  what  we  do. 
Second  thought  is  important,"  he  said.  It  required  all 
his  courage. 

"  We  can  never  be  too  hasty  when  much  is  at  stake. 
Anything  else  does  not  count.  It  ought  to  appeal  to 
you  :  it  smacks  of  the  quick  arm,  and  the  blow." 

"  I  believe  you  know  me  better  than  that,"  said  the 
man  unsteadily. 

"  I  am  afraid  we  are  not  at  all  acquainted.  But  why 
should  we  argue  ?  My  side  has  been  better  presented 
than  ever  I  could  do  it.  And  I  believe  you  have  been 
sympathetic  to  the  attitude, — in  theory." 

He  tried  to  suppress  his  resentment  at  this  show  of 
strength. 

At  parting  she  thrust  the  price  of  her  dinner  upon 
him,  and  left  him  quickly  without  noticing  his  extended 
hand.  He  was  a  little  pale. 

"  One  of  the  vile  frauds  ! "  the  woman  said.  "  A  beast 
who  has  absolutely  no  memory.  They  are  all  alike.  It 
displeased  the  moral  man.  I  hope  he  is  satisfied  now." 

So  he  had  been  to  see  the  play  !  How  many  of  the 
intellectuals  of  the  Jewish  community  who  were 
taken  by  storm  when  she  first  appeared  in  the  drama, 
were  now  attending  the  theatre  to  be  able  to  make  com 
parisons  and  discuss  her  !  Was  it  a  descent  ?  It  brought 
the  perspiration  to  her  brow. 

The  question  did  not  leave  her  when  she  journeyed  to 
the  park  that  afternoon.  What  benefit  was  she  deriving 
from  her  work  ?  Was  it  not  really  food  for  laughter  ? 
The  meagre  lines,  and  the  scoldings  of  the  manager  when 
she  was  confident  that  she  was  doing  better  than  any 


WORSHIPPERS  251 

member  of  the  company,  was  certainly  discouraging. 
Had  she  not  chosen  the  most  impossible  way  to  success  ? 

She  managed  to  drive  away  for  the  time  being  the 
irritating  thoughts  and  turned  to  the  book  which  she 
had  brought  with  her.  The  pages  did  not  prove  ab 
sorbing,  and  she  gave  herself  to  lazy  dreaming  in  a  mood 
which  often  took  on  the  trifling  spirit.  It  was  not 
strange  that  she  should  bend  careless  eyes  upon  much 
that  she  had  considered  serious.  To  her  impersonal 
queries  the  world  loomed  vague  and  confusing,  making 
her  one  of  many,  and  waving  back  her  extended  hand. 

In  the  car  on  her  return  home  she  found  herself  be 
tween  begrimed  Italian  laborers  who  clung  to  their  din 
ner  pails  with  a  stolid  air,  and  exchanged  but  few  words. 
She  could  not  understand  why  separate  cars  were  not 
provided  for  working-people  ;  at  least  for  working-people 
like  these. 

A  letter  from  Mrs.  Nast  was  handed  to  her  by  the  Eng 
lishwoman.  It  made  mention  of  an  intended  visit  to  one 
Mrs.  Salenkov  on  the  following  Sunday.  The  reason 
given  was  that  the  lady  was  much  interested  in  Kather- 
ine.  Mrs.  Nast  was  insistent  that  her  friend  be  on  hand. 

"  That's  a  distant  relative  of  Bronski's,"  flashed  across 
Katherine's  mind.  "  They  were  never  very  warm  to 
wards  each  other,  and  may  not  be  on  good  terms  now. 
Else,  why  should  she  want  me  ?  She  may  wish  to  defy 
him.  It  will  amount  to  that.  Anyhow,  I  will  have 
gained  another  friend,  and  I  must  win  them  over  one  by 
one, — those  that  may  be  of  some  use  to  me." 

She  prepared  for  the  evening's  performance  with  a 
feeling  akin  to  disgust.  Then  she  paced  the  room, 
wringing  her  hands,  and  crying : 

"I  must  not  look  at  it  in  that  way  !  Ah,  what  a  cow 
ard  I  have  become !  Death  is  preferable ! " 


2.52  WORSHIPPERS 


CHAPTER   III 

MRS.  NAST,  on  her  way  home  from  a  trip 
to  the  music  store,  came  upon  David  Bronski 
shuffling  along  with  bent  head. 

At  the  sight  of  her  he  stopped,  and  his  troubled  eyes 
took  her  in  sternly. 

"  I  want  to  speak  to  you,"  he  said  with  an  abruptness 
which  startled  the  good  woman. 

"  Come  to  my  house.  I  am  always  at  home,"  she 
said,  gathering  herself  together. 

"  No,  now  will  do — very  well.  Let  me  go  down  the 
street  with  you.  I  can  spare  the  time." 

She  walked  on  obediently,  curious  to  learn  what  he 
had  to  say.  He  began  : 

"  Katherine  has  been  coming  to  your  house,  I  hear." 

"  Certainly.     Isn't  my  house  good  enough  ?  " 

"  It  is  not  that,  of  course,"  he  stammered.  "  You 
should  not  accept  her  visits.  I  protest.  She  has— has 
outlawed  herself.  You  see — so  shameful — this  Raman 
business— how  it  ended.  Ah  !  Ah  !  Shameful ! "  He 
heaved  a  great  sigh.  "  I  knew  it  would  be  just  so.  I 
knew  it — a  trifling  person  who  has  no  honor." 

"  Mr.  Bronski,  excuse  me — you  never  understood 
your  wife,"  said  the  little  woman. 

"  No,  I  didn't ;  or  I  would  never  have  made  such  an 
awful  blunder— such  a  fool  of  myself.  They  all  laughed  ; 
they  laugh  now.  It  makes  an  impression  even  on  the 
dullest.  We  don't  live  twice,  and  to  be  humiliated— hu- 


WORSHIPPERS  253 

miliated  as  I  have  been  is  beyond  my  strength.  It  has 
made  me  disgusted  with  myself  ; — almost  more  than  with 
her.  There  is  nothing  in  her  conduct  that  one  can  find 
reason  for  or  excuse.  She  is  restless,  morbid  ;  and  in  a 
woman  it  is  bad.  I  doubt  that  she  is  sane.  Neverthe 
less,  it  has  humiliated  me." 

"  Mr.  Bronski,  she  is  an  exceptional  woman,  who  made 
mistakes;  but  we  all  make  them,  except  some  more 
beautifully—" 

"  Beautifully  ! "  cried  Bronski,  staring  down  at  her. 

"  Of  course.  Don't  you  think  people  are  noble  who 
want  something  else  than  four  walls  and  food  ?  I  said 
you  did  not  understand  her.  And,  necessarily,  you  can 
not  be  fair  to  her  :  you  are  not  broad  enough.  Why  in 
terest  yourself  in  her  at  all  ?  Why  think  of  her  ?  Why 
stop  one  of  her  friends  and  make  such  a  fuss  ?  " 

David  Bronski  was  so  much  moved  that  he  was  forced 
to  pause  in  his  walk. 

"  I  don't  think  of  her  except  in  connection  with  my 
shame.  And  I  am  not  interested  in  her.  Simply  com 
mon  decency  asks  that  a  woman  doing  such  a  thing  be 
punished.  You  understand  ?  You  have  no  right  to  ac 
cept  her  in  your  house — no  right  to  be  intimate.  You 
understand  ? " 

"  My  affair,"  came  with  an  exasperating  shrug.  "  My 
affair.  She  shall  not  lose  the  only  friend  she  has  in  the 
world  because  you  have  a  spite  against  her.  No,  sir !  " 

"  Ah,  you  see !  The  only  friend,  since  everyone  is 
disgusted  with  her.  How  low  she  has  fallen  !  " 

"  David  Bronski,  leave  the  woman  alone,  just  as  she 
leaves  you  alone.  You  hear  ?  She  is  not  concerned 
with  you.  A  great,  terrible  abyss  divides  you.  You 
have  no  right  to  even  look  across  it.  And,  sir,  you  have 
no  right  to  hunt  her  down  like  this.  She  shall  meet 


254  WORSHIPPERS 

everyone  who  comes  to  my  house ;  and  if  she  is  not 
good  enough,  they  need  not  come.  You  want  my  opin 
ion  of  you  :  you  are  a  fool !  " 

"  You  have  no  right,  you  have  no  right,"  murmured 
the  man,  suddenly  helpless. 

But  the  outraged  lady  had  swept  away  with  her  head 
high  in  the  air,  although  she  had  discovered  a  grain  of 
pity  for  the  man  who  had  several  times  been  on  the  verge 
of  an  unmanlike  whimper. 

She  reached  home  in  a  flutter,  and  paused  at  the  foot 
of  the  stairs  to  call  to  Dr.  Nast.  Hurriedly  finishing 
with  the  patient  under  his  care,  he  joined  his  wife  in  the 
parlor,  and  stood  at  attention. 

She  related  her  conversation  with  Bronski,  adorning  it, 
and  dilating  on  the  pathos  of  the  forlorn  husband  trying 
to  conceal  his  love  for  the  woman  ;  while  the  little  man 
stroked  his  mustache  with  the  necessary  gravity. 

"  Ah,  he  also  has  not  many  friends  ;  he  was  heart 
broken.  Although  I  scolded  him,  my  heart  was  full  of 
tears.  It  is  too  sad.  My  dear,  I  have  made  up  my 
mind." 

«  Yes  ? " 

"  Watch  what  is  going  to  happen.  She  is  not  happy, 
and  seems  to  have  little  hope  for  the  future.  He  is  not 
happy,  and  is  a  wreck.  The  future  no  longer  concerns 
him  ;  else  what  did  that  excitement  of  his  mean  ?  And 
the  wet  eyes  ?  I  understood  it  all  !  There  was  nothing 
he  had  to  tell  me,  although  I  was  for  the  moment  indig 
nant.  And  now,  perhaps — " 

Her  silence  was  profoundly  significant. 

"I  would  not  try  to  do  anything,  dear,"  he  said  gently. 
"  You  are  too  courageous,  too  courageous.  You  assume 
terrible  burdens.  And  in  the  end  you  may  gain  noth 
ing." 


WORSHIPPERS  255 

"  Well,  well,  we  cannot  be  too  courageous  when  happi 
ness  is  at  stake.  Ah,  she  is  so  lonely,  so  sad,  so  broken  ! 
Not  my  Katherine  of  old.  As  if  she  had  gone  through 
a  machine.  And  to  think  that  many  believe  she  has  not 
been  sufficiently  punished !  Her  soul  is  too  pure  for 
sin." 

She  allowed  him  to  return  to  his  patients  while  she 
remained  seated,  and  solemnly  reviewed  the  situation. 

Suddenly  she  got  to  her  feet  with  wonderful  agility, 
and  going  to  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  called,  "  Dr.  Nast, 
Dr.  Nast,  I  have  found  a  way  !  "  And  before  the  head 
of  the  house  could  recover  sufficiently  from  his  astonish 
ment  to  descend,  the  outside  door  closed  behind  his  wife. 

With  eager  feet  that  found  the  ground  irksome,  she 
sped  perspiring  down  the  street,  passing  several  acquaint 
ances  without  being  conscious  of  their  greeting,  and  at 
last  paused  before  a  house  which  displayed  an  attorney's 
sign.  She  was  all  dignity  when  she  pulled  the  bell. 

A  tall,  slim  woman  received  her  with  a  kiss,  and  led 
the  way  into  the  parlor  where  partly-closed  shutters 
helped  to  keep  out  the  heat. 

"  I  have  come  to  you,"  began  Mrs.  Nast,  wiping  her 
moist  face,  and  adjusting  her  glasses,  "when  I  could 
come  to  no  one  else.  It  dawned  upon  me  that  you  were 
a  distant  relative  of  Mr.  Bronski's  ; — not  that  I  forgot  it ; 
but  I  remembered  it  distinctly  in  connection  with  some 
thing  very  vital  to  the  existence  of  several  people,  Mrs. 
Salenkov." 

Having  made  an  end  of  the  introduction,  she  began 
with  a  recital  of  Katherine' s  woes  ;  then  passed  over  to 
Bronski's  loneliness  and  dejection ;  and  finished  by  broach 
ing  a  plan  which  had  suggested  itself  to  her  fertile  mind. 
She  was  pained  when  the  other  woman  failed  to  hail  it 
with  joy. 


256  WORSHIPPERS 

For  some  time  there  was  silence  while  Mrs.  Salenkov 
tossed  about  for  means  of  dissuading  her  friend.  Her 
lack  of  ingenuity  forced  her  to  say : 

"  Don't  you  think  Mr.  Bronski  would  be  very  angry 
to  find  her  here,  dear  ?  Even  if  it  should  seem  acciden 
tal,  he  is  certain  to  see  through  it  at  last.  And  if  you 
failed,  it  would  only  make  trouble." 

"  He  will  not  see  it  !  Not  at  all !  I  will  go  over  it 
again  to  prove  to  you  that  it  is  reasonable.  Since  he 
visits  you  often,  there  is  little  danger  of  his  thinking  your 
invitation  strange  when  it  is  for  Sunday  night.  Of  course 
you  must  be  careful,  very  careful.  Just  mention  it  ac 
cidentally,  with  great  carelessness ;  and  you  can  find 
something  you  want  at  the  drug  store.  Goodness  me, 
it  is  not  suspicious  !  And  then  your  motive  should  make 
it  a  pleasant  duty.  Either  they  will  quarrel,  or  will  go 
away,  or  will  become  friends  again.  Think  what  it  will 
mean  !  You  and  I  hold  the  happiness  of  two  people  in 
our  hands." 

"  If  anyone  else  came  with  such  a  suggestion,  I  would 
not  listen  to  it,"  was  the  compliment  Mrs.  Salenkov  paid 
Mrs.  Nast.  "  But  I  find  a  good  deal  of  reason  in  what 
you  say.  It  is  true  that  he  is  broken-hearted,  and  lonely. 
But  he  believes  she  has  dragged  his  name  through  the 
mud,  and  cannot  forgive  her.  Of  course  he  is  human." 

"  Does  he  speak  often  of  her  ? "  Mrs.  Nast  asked 
eagerly. 

"  Her  name  is  rarely  out  of  his  mouth." 

"  Ah,  you  see  !  You  do  not  know  human  nature  ;  and 
you  have  read  all  those  Balzac  books  in  the  bookcase ! 
He  is  angry  just  because  he  wants  her  to  come  to  him ; 
and  of  course  she  does  not  know  it ;  and  he  does  not 
know  it  exactly  either.  Think  of  his  conversation  with 
me.  What  do  you  discover  in  it  ?  That  he  hungers  for 


WORSHIPPERS  257 

her,  that  he  loves  her,  and  would  forgive  her  if  he  only 
saw  how  much  she  has  changed  in  her  suffering.  You 
will  be  like  an  angel  in  doing  this  thing." 

"But  she—?" 

"  She  /  will  take  care  of.  I  will  write  to  her  to  come 
to  see  me  Sunday." 

"  You  will  tell  her  nothing  ?  " 

"  Nothing  except  that  you  want  to  see  her." 

"  But  she  knows  that  I  am  a  relative." 

It  almost  stunned  Mrs.  Nast.  She  looked  blankly  at 
the  other  woman.  But  in  a  moment  she  was  herself 
again,  her  wits  busily  at  work. 

"  She  never  came  here  with  Bronski,  did  she  ? ' ' 

"  No.  He  was  very  cool  towards  me  until  this  thing  hap 
pened,  and  I  was  the  only  one  to  whom  he  could  turn." 

"  Excellent  !  Excellent !  "  cried  Mrs.  Nast.  "  You  are 
not  on  good  terms  with  him.  You  understand  ?  " 

Mrs.  Salenkov  slowly  seized  the  idea.  It  did  not  alto 
gether  please  her. 

"  But  you  see  that  I  run  the  risk  of  losing  her  as  a 
friend,"  said  the  little  woman,  "  and  yet  I  am  ready  to 
make  the  needed  sacrifice.  She  would  not  consent  to 
such  a  thing.  She  is  earning  her  livelihood,  and  is  think 
ing  of  writing ; — that  might  satisfy  her.  But  only  love 
satisfies,  Mrs.  Salenkov,  only  love.  And  she  hates  Ra 
man,  oh,  so  much  !  He  has  trifled  with  her.  I  am  cer 
tain  that  her  feelings  towards  Mr.  Bronski  are  of  the 
best.  I  divine  it.  Her  soul  is  so  simple,  so  open  !  How 
can  people  think  her  bad  ?  She  is  like  a  child  that  you 
take  in  your  arms  and  caress.  Ah,  me !  It  is  a  sad 
world  !  Have  you  anything  cool  to  drink  ?  " 

When  she  was  alone,  Mrs.  Nast  was  tempted  to  go  to 
the  piano ;  but  instead  folded  her  arms,  and  dreamt  of 
her  task  of  restoring  the  happiness  of  two  people. 


258  WORSHIPPERS 


CHAPTER    IV 

BRONSKI  almost  rose  from  his  seat  when  Kath- 
erine  entered  Mrs.  Salenkov's  parlor  behind  Mrs. 
Nast.  That  he  had  been  made  the  victim  of  a 
carefully  planned  trick  had  no  time  to  surmount  the 
scattering  of  his  wits ;  for  there  stood  the  woman,  pale, 
with  staring  eyes,  and  her  greeting  dead  upon  her  lips. 

He  fell  back  in  his  chair,  his  head  whirling,  and  his 
tongue  paralyzed. 

The  lady  of  the  house  had  gotten  rid  of  her  husband 
for  the  evening,  and  sent  the  children  to  bed ;  but  at 
this  moment  she  would  have  wished  the  room  full  of 
people.  She  managed,  however,  to  express  sufficiently 
her  surprise  and  delight  at  the  unexpected  visit,  inquired 
after  the  health  of  the  two  women,  and  then  left  the  field 
to  Mrs.  Nast. 

To  that  lady's  joy,  Bronski  stayed  where  he  was.  He 
cleared  his  throat,  almost  choked,  coughed,  and  then  sat 
up  in  his  seat  like  a  statue. 

It  was  not  Mrs.  Nast's  intention  to  leave  him  in  peace. 
She  first  asked  after  his  well-being,  had  a  staccato 
"  That's  good  1 "  for  his  murmured  answer,  and  then 
talked  the  weather  to  tatters.  The  hostile  tension  did 
not  dash  her  courage.  She  had  a  mission,  and  to  put 
herself  at  the  mercy  of  death-dealing  silence  would  be 
the  beginning  of  the  rout. 

Books  were  her  next  venture  ;  and  for  half  an  hour 
she  lectured,  taking  Balzac  for  her  theme,  until  Mrs. 


WORSHIPPERS  259 

Salenkov  was  induced  to  throw  in  a  few  words.  But 
Mrs.  Nast  was  not  long  in  recognizing  that  there  was 
danger  in  books.  So  she  was  forced  to  play  her  last 
card. 

She  went  to  the  piano,  and  filled  the  room  with  the 
potent  grief  of  a  Chopin  Prelude.  She  felt  that  she  had 
never  played  like  that  before.  At  last  she  was  speaking 
in  a  language  of  which  she  was  certain,  and  she  put  her 
whole  heart  into  the  effort. 

Bronski,  in  a  state  of  collapse,  was  revived  a  little  by 
the  music.  He  told  himself  several  times  that  he  would 
go,  but  seemed  to  be  rooted  in  his  chair  as  if  a  hypnotist 
had  passed  compelling  fingers  over  him.  Soon  the  elu 
sive  dreams  of  the  melody  warmed  him,  melted  his  pity, 
created  a  strange  world  in  which  there  was  no  hate ;  and 
he  could  even  have  wept,  so  greatly  was  he  shaken.  To 
add  to  his  demoralization,  the  nearness  of  Katherine  fired 
his  veins,  and  soon  the  recurring  idea  was  that  she  had 
been  his.  Yes,  she  had  been  his  !  Listening  to  the 
Chopin  music  he  began  to  pity  her.  After  all,  had 
she  not  suffered  ?  How  pale  she  was  !  and  worn  !  He 
was  frightened  when  he  was  suddenly  struck  by  the 
thought  that  she  was  a  perfect  stranger  to  him  now, 
and  trembled  as  he  stared  at  a  mirror  in  which  her  face 
was  reflected. 

The  heat  of  the  evening  made  tea  impossible  ;  so  the 
hostess  had  provided  lemonade.  Bronski' s  shaking  hand 
forced  him  to  put  his  glass  aside, — an  incident  which  did 
not  escape  Katherine.  After  the  first  flash  of  anger 
when  she  had  caught  sight  of  Bronski,  she  found  no  re 
sentment.  Her  power  of  resistance  was  at  an  ebb ;  and 
as  she  observed  that  the  man's  glance,  in  his  study  of 
the  mirror,  was  kind,  and  his  brow  smooth,  she  sighed. 
He  had  believed  in  her.  He  was  not  a  man  concentrated 


260  WORSHIPPERS 

in  self.  Ah,  what  a  mistake  she  had  made  !  How  could 
she  blame  him  for  hating  her  ?  Had  she  not  almost 
ruined  his  life  ?  And  he  had  lived  but  for  her ! 

The  hostess  inquired  about  her  work  at  the  theatre. 
It  allowed  her  to  speak  at  some  length  of  the  educa 
tional  value  of  the  parts  which  she  had  been  assigned. 
But  she  did  not  dwell  as  enthusiastically  on  the  future 
as  might  have  been  expected ;  and  it  was  this  that  set 
Bronski  to  thinking.  He  was  dimly  conscious  of  a  note 
of  sadness  in  the  woman's  show  of  confidence,  so  accus 
tomed  was  he  to  every  shade  of  feeling  in  her  voice. 
Again  and  again  he  forgot  himself,  and  looked  squarely 
at  her  while  he  munched  his  cake. 

The  three  women  carried  on  the  talk  among  them 
selves,  although  Mrs.  Nast  often  turned  to  Bronski  for 
confirmation  of  some  statement  that  she  seemed  not  to 
be  certain  of,  despite  her  usual  assurance.  His  nod 
of  the  head  would  suffice,  and  she  would  rattle  on  again. 
And  thus  several  hours  stole  away,  with  all  growing 
more  and  more  at  ease. 

Katherine  asked  Mrs.  Nast  to  sing.  The  little  woman 
pointed  out  that  the  evening  was  too  far  advanced,  but 
yielded  to  the  coaxing.  She  made  choice  of  a  little 
melody  of  Tchaikowsky  lacking  in  the  upper  notes  of 
which  she  was  so  fond,  so  that  the  effect  was  almost  reci 
tative.  She  wondered  if  they  realized  that  she  was 
sacrificing  her  art  for  the  sake  of  the  words.  When  she 
had  finished,  the  room  was  quiet. 

Katherine  rose  to  take  her  leave.     Mrs.  Nast  said  : 

"  My  dear,  you  cannot  wish  to  go  so  great  a  distance 
at  this  hour.  Stay  over  at  my  house." 

"  I  must  get  home  to-night.  There  are  some  lines  I 
want  to  go  carefully  over  in  the  morning,  and  I  must 
make  sure  of  them." 


WORSHIPPERS  261 

"  But  so  far—  !  " 

"  If  you  will  allow  me,"  Bronski  stammered  in  a 
strained  voice,  "  I  will  see  you  home." 

The  women  started,  Katherine  almost  violently.  Her 
impulse  was  to  refuse  point-blank.  She  managed  to  get 
out,  "  Thank  you,  but  it  would  take  you  too  far  out  of 
your  way,  Mr.  Bronski." 

The  "  Mr.  Bronski  "  almost  undid  the  whole  of  Mrs. 
Nast's  work.  But  the  man  recovered  himself,  and 
said  : 

"  Not  at  all  !  Not  at  all  !  I  think— I  think  you 
should  not  go  to  your  room  alone." 

"  If  you  care  to  take  the  trouble,"  murmured  the 
woman  whose  limbs  almost  gave  way  under  her. 

All  left  the  house,  and  Mrs.  Salenkov  parted  with  her 
visitors  on  the  doorstep.  But  when  Katherine  and  Mr. 
Bronski  were  out  of  sight,  Mrs.  Nast  rushed  back,  and 
dragging  her  co-intrigante  into  the  house,  embraced  her 
with  the  words,  "  There  !  There !  I  am  almost  fainting 
with  happiness.  Let  me  sit  down  and  rest  for  a  minute. 
I  feel  as  if  I  had  been  through  some  soul-torturing  ordeal. 
I  hope  I  shall  not  faint." 

The  man  and  the  woman  whom  he  was  to  take  to  her 
home  silently  waited  for  a  car,  as  silently  entered  it,  and 
found  seats  without  a  word.  She  did  not  demur  when 
he  paid  her  fare. 

After  they  had  travelled  some  distance,  the  exit  of 
passengers  left  them  alone  in  a  corner.  Bronski  said  : 

"  Katherine,  I  am  lonely.  Would  you  come  back  and 
make  a  home  with  me  again  ?  I  want  you." 

Her  protest  revealed  lack  of  self-possession  : 

"What  !  After  all  that  ?" 

"  Yes.  We  all  make  mistakes,  and  in  this  case  we 
have  both  suffered.  The  past  shall  be  past.  I  will  for- 


262  WORSHIPPERS 

get  it — have  forgotten  it.  What  have  you  to  lose  ?  A 
home  awaits  you.  I  stored  away  the  furniture.  I  had 
no  heart  to  sell  it." 

Her  pride  asserted  itself. 

"  No  !  No  !  It  will  hardly  do.  And  again,"— with 
dramatic  emphasis —  "  it  would  be  too  sad  to  repeat  the 
mistake  we  have  made.  Despite  what  my  enemies  have 
said,  I  never  considered  my  step  harmful — to  anyone. 
They  have  vilified  me,  jeered,  mocked ;  but  I  feel 
stronger  and  more  decided  than  ever.  It  was  almost  a 
necessary  step  in  my  life.  Forget  the  past  ?  Why,  it  is 
a  fact ! " 

He  was  indifferent  to  her  outburst. 

"  As  I  tell  you,  I  am  lonely ;  and  that  past  cannot  be 
helped  ; — and  I  do  not  care  about  it.  Take  your  time  in 
giving  me  the  answer.  There  is  no  hurry ;  that  is,  I 
do  not  wish  to  hurry  you.  Of  course  we  will  not  care 
what  people  will  say  ; " — put  as  if  he  had  intended, 
"/do  not  care  what  people  will  say" — "  I  do  not  wish 
your  final  decision  now.  Think  it  over." 

She  was  silent,  which  left  him  satisfied.  At  her  door 
her  words  were  : 

"  No,  I  cannot  give  you  an  answer  now.  You  must 
wait,  and  expect  anything." 

His  "  Good  night,  Katherine "  touched  her  with  its 
suggestion  of  heartache. 

In  her  room  she  paused  after  taking  off  her  hat,  and 
was  crimson  with  a  sudden  rush  of  shame.  Then  she 
clenched  her  hands,  and  cried  : 

"  How  could  she  have  led  me  into  this  !  To  think 
that  I  could  trust  her  so  little  !  And  she  was  not  more 
a  fool  than  I.  She  lied  to  me  about  that  woman.  I 
ought  to  have  seen  through  it.  An  answer  !  I  was  an 
idiot  not  to  give  it  to  him  at  once  !  No  !  No  !  Oh,  no  ! 


WORSHIPPERS  263 

I  will  not  say,  '  Take  me  back  ! '  What  a  return  it  would 
be  !  More  laughter  !  To  think  that  I  should  have  lost 
all  control  of  myself  !  Must  I  make  a  farce  of  all  that 
has  happened  up  to  now  ?  Rather  to  seek  employment 
in  some  store  when  the  season  is  over  !  " 

With  reflection  came  strangely  the  unreality  of  the 
evening.  It  seemed  part  of  a  dream. 

Then  she  sobbed,  first  softly,  afterwards  with  a  storm 
of  tears  that  eased  the  tension.  But  instead  of  finding 
her  mind  made  up  when  she  sought  her  bed,  she  soon 
saw  that  she  was  at  the  mercy  of  a  vacillating  spirit 
which  denied  her  all  peace. 

She  stared  into  the  darkness  for  several  hours,  until 
sleep,  without  rest,  intervened.  She  tossed  from  side  to 
side,  the  slender  limbs  twisting  the  coverlet ;  and  her 
drawn  face  was  almost  covered  by  the  unloosened  coils 
of  hair. 

Once  she  awoke  in  the  night.  After  crying  a  little, 
she  fell  asleep  again. 

In  the  morning  rain  was  falling,  the  grey  mist  making 
the  quiet  street  dull  and  repulsive.  Never  had  the 
woman  felt  so  careless  of  the  to-morrow.  Her  work  that 
day  at  rehearsal  was  so  devoid  of  interest  that  the  stage- 
manager  spoke  sharply  to  her. 

The  evening  found  her  gathering  herself  together  for 
the  performance.  She  fought  temptation  with  shut  teeth 
and  glaring  eyes,  until  determination  won ;  and  she 
thrilled  with  the  effort.  Before  an  hour  had  passed,  her 
spirits  were  at  low  ebb  again. 

Near  the  house  in  which  she  stayed  an  incident  oc 
curred  on  her  return  from  the  theatre  that  helped  to  sap 
her  courage.  She  was  accosted  by  a  man  unsteady  with 
drink  who  spoke  numbing  words  until  she  found  strength 
enough  to  strike  him  in  the  face.  The  nervous,  desperate 


264  WORSHIPPERS 

blow  sent  him  down  like  a  log.  Then  she  ran  panting 
to  the  house,  and  managed  to  open  the  door  against  which 
she  leaned  to  recover  herself.  When  she  crawled  into 
bed,  it  was  to  cower  there  with  chattering  teeth  until 
sleep  came. 

The  rain  continued  to  fall  all  that  night  and  next 
morning,  and  Katherine  opened  her  eyes  only  to  close 
them  again,  unable  to  struggle  with  a  shadow  that  para 
lyzed  life.  Soul-weary,  she  was  almost  anxious  that  some 
mastering  illness  put  an  end  to  her  miserable  existence. 
It  would  be  sweet  to  lie  quietly  until  death  intervened. 

"  How  useless  everything  is  !  How  useless  !  "  she 
moaned.  "  I  am  so  eager  to  give  it  all  up,  and  be  done 
with  it." 

She  thought  of  Bronski,  and  he  seemed  to  stand  before 
her,  lonely,  bowed  with  care,  broken-hearted.  Had  she 
not  been  childish  in  the  doing  of  that  sudden  deed  ? 
What  a  hideous  impulse  it  had  been !  No,  she  could 
not  blame  the  world  for  wishing  that  things  went  more 
quietly.  Robinson,  though  a  fool,  was  echoing  the  speech 
of  reasonable  people. 

It  looked  now  as  if  she  would  never  be  able  to  bridge 
the  gulf  between  herself  and  the  many  who  at  one  time 
had  been  proud  of  her  friendship.  They  would  not  for 
get  the  past.  She  arrived  at  the  point  where  she 
admitted  that  she  had  no  right  to  complain  of  the  punish 
ment. 

Rest  !  Ah,  how  much  it  was  worth  !  Not  to  know 
care  !  Not  to  be  constantly  stretched  on  a  rack  !  What 
counted  the  feverishness  when  it  made  for  war  and  broke 
the  heart  ?  To  rest  and  let  the  world  glide  by.  If  she 
were  but  certain  of  the  love  of  any  one  person  ! 

She  drowsed  until  the  thought  of  her  work  drove  her 
to  her  feet. 


WORSHIPPERS  265 

"  No,  there  is  no  use  struggling  !  "  she  cried.  "  I  will 
write  to  him.  Why  should  I  continue  to  torment  my 
self  ? " 

Hurriedly  dressing,  she  seized  pen  and  paper,  and  set 
to  work  at  once  that  the  opportunity  might  not  pass. 
She  wrote  with  hysterical  speed.  The  striking  of  the 
hour — which  proved  to  be  nine — aroused  her  to  her  sur 
roundings.  Fortunately,  she  had  no  lines  until  the  last 
act.  So  she  continued,  whispering  her  words  as  she  set 
them  down. 

At  last  the  task  was  accomplished ;  but  she  lacked 
courage  to  read  the  pages  she  had  filled.  Her  head  fell 
to  the  table,  and  she  moaned  as  if  in  physical  agony. 
The  house  of  cards  was  down  ;  her  fingers  were  too  weak 
to  begin  over  again. 

She  got  to  her  feet  with  an  effort,  only  to  fall  back 
into  the  seat ;  and  gazed  stupidly  at  the  letter  for  some 
time. 

When  she  laid  her  hand  on  the  mail-box,  she  stood 
still  a  moment.  But  her  struggle  did  not  last.  In 
quisitive  eyes  forced  her  to  dispose  quickly  of  her  morn 
ing's  work. 

Then  she  walked  away  with  rapid  step. 


266  WORSHIPPERS 


CHAPTER  V 

RAMAN,  who  had  returned  to  New  York  in  the 
fall  to  stage  his  Yiddish  play  under  the  direc 
tion  of  Danvitz,  was  astonished  on  the  eve  of 
the  performance  to  find  a  letter  from  Hindman  on  his  table. 
He  waited  a  few  moments  before  opening  the  envelope. 
The  doctor  would  not  have  taken  the  trouble  to  write 
unless  he  had  news  that  could  be  rendered  stingingly  ef 
fective.     And  the  poet's  anxiety  was  increased  when  he 
noted  the  length  of  the   letter.     The  reason  for  Hind- 
man's  lavish  use  of  penned  words  was  soon  made  clear. 

"  Having  next  to  nothing  to  do — the  busy  season,  so  to 
speak,  being  due  somewhat  later, — how  better  to  kill  time 
than  by  bringing  to  your  notice  certain  incidents  that 
have  interested  me  ?  Coming  to  you  on  the  day  of  your 
great  success  they  should  be  received  in  the  right  spirit. 
Your  play  is  sure  to  be  a  success.  You  are  enough  of  a 
man  with  a  past  now  to  do  some  exceptional  work. 

"  Yes,  you  are  lucky.  The  world  goes  well  with  you. 
And  it  goes  comparatively  quieter,  too,  I  suppose.  You 
might  even  tell  you  were  happy,  if  you  cared  to  be  sin 
cere.  But  you  have,  no  doubt,  learnt  to  dissimulate,  as 
you  have  learnt  many  other  things  more  valuable. 

"  I  believe  I  tried  in  roundabout  fashion  to  warn  you. 
You  saw  nothing,  having  your  own  convenience  in  view. 
It  is  only  real  virtue  that  carries  a  lantern  and  examines 
carefully. 

"  Well,  to  begin  showing  you  what  an  ordinary  world 
we  live  in,  suppose  I  tell  you  that  the  former  Mrs.  Bron- 


WORSHIPPERS  267 

ski,  alias  Mrs.  Raman,  has  returned  to  her  first  and  only 
love.  I  do  not  refer  to  the  stage.  It  is  Mr.  David 
Bronski  who  is  the  honored  individual — " 

The  poet  gave  a  great  cry,  and  the  letter  slipped  from 
his  hands  as  they  fell  limply  to  his  sides. 

It  was  an  hour  before  he  attempted  to  follow  the  words 
which  covered  the  pages. 

"  Her  career  on  the  stage  was  short.  I  have  no  doubt 
it  will  survive  her  desertion  of  it,  her  new  husband — re 
habilitated — to  the  contrary  notwithstanding,  as  they  say 
in  proper  English.  The  joke  was  so  unexpected  that  the 
community  has  not  seen  it  in  the  right  light  yet.  What 
they  will  say  will  be  worth  listening  to.  The  average 
man  has  a  sense  of  humor ;  and  anyhow  the  Collective 
Humor  is  always  keener  than  that  of  the  individual. 

"  Let  us  be  charitable  :  it  was  want  of  money  that 
must  have  driven  her  to  it.  That  was  most  convenient ; 
certainly  more  convenient  than  any  other  method  of 
getting  a  living.  We,  who  interpret  man's  doings  in 
terms  of  how  he  secures  his  bread  and  butter,  can 
excuse  her.  You  tried  love ;  but  that  did  not  seem  to 
succeed. 

"  You  might  have  hung  the  walls  of  all  your  rooms  with 
her  photographs.  Your  failure  to  do  so  was  inexcusable. 
Do  you  catch  my  idea  ?  Underneath  large  portraits  of 
Katherine  Bronski,  small  photos  of  Duse  and  Bernhardt. 
That,  and  the  poems  dedicated  to  her  genius,  would  have 
kept  her  at  your  side. 

"  But  no  man  likes  his  shortcomings  pointed  out,  es 
pecially  after  the  way  your  mistakes  have  counted  up. 

"  Returning  to  Bronski,  he  must  be  happy  to  have  en 
ticed  the  bird  back  into  its  cage,  even  though  some  of  the 
prettiest  feathers  are  gone.  Love  that  is  touched  with 
pity  is  very  strong  :  if  not  lasting  in  young  men,  it  is 
certainly  the  failing  of  old  ones. 

"  Do  you  know  who  brought  about  the  reconciliation  ? 


268  WORSHIPPERS 

Our  friend  of  the  <  Grand  Passion ' !  None  other. 
How  she  did  it  is  beyond  me.  She  had  two  unknown 
quantities  to  deal  with.  Perhaps  she  possesses  more 
brains  than  we  would  allow  her. 

"  As  for  Mrs.  Bronski,  I  have  seen  her.  She  lacks 
much  of  the  old  vivacity.  To  eyes  that  know  her  she 
seems  tamed  ;  but  there  is  a  dogged  look  there  if  one 
gets  close  enough  to  see  it.  Perhaps  she  is  not  as  much 
pleased  as  we  would  expect  her  to  be.  She  has  been  ac 
customed,  you  must  not  forget,  to  shouting  and  lording 
it.  Any  other  role  does  not  become  her. 

"They  have  rooms  over  the  drug  store,  and  she  is 
satisfied  sometimes  to  come  down  and  dust  bottles, — 
with  the  same  affection  she  must  have  lavished  on  your 
books. 

"  Bronski,  of  course,  receives  me,  and  tolerates  me. 
They  have  next  to  no  friends,  and  even  I  can  be  a  sub 
stitute  for  one.  When  I  come  across  Mrs.  B.,  she  looks 
at  me  rather  absently  and  without  the  slightest  interest. 
I  happened  to  be  within  speaking  distance  of  her  the 
other  day ;  Bronski  was  preparing  some  medicines  for 
me.  I  told  her  about  your  Yiddish  play.  Apparently 
she  does  not  read  your  paper  now,  for  it  was  news  to 
her.  Of  course  I  had  the  audacity  to  speak  of  the  honor 
it  meant  for  you  to  have  your  play  open  the  season.  Her 
glare  almost  froze  my  blood.  Had  she  had  the  advan 
tage  of  an  animal,  she  would  have  cried  out  with  rage. 
You  might  say  I  ought  not  have  done  it ;  but  I  was 
eager  for  the  experiment ;  and  it  showed  me  that  she 
hates  you.  There  is  no  other  word  for  it. 

"  Bronski  crawls  around  half  sick  most  of  the  time. 
Her  leaving  him  must  have  been  a  bad  blow.  But  when 
she  is  near,  he  straightens  up  his  shoulders.  Old  people 
pose  more  than  young  ones  ;  although  he  is  not  very  old, 
and  might  easily  outlive  us.  I  pity  him  when  I  put  my 
self  in  his  place.  It  is  no  easy  matter  to  be  fighting  old 
age  for  the  sake  of  a  young  woman,  and  keeping  her 
from  getting  the  horrors.  I  am  not  very  confident  about 
my  own  future. 


WORSHIPPERS  269 

"  As  I  said,  she  hardly  speaks  a  word  to  anyone,  and 
all  return  the  compliment.  To  be  sure  she  has  Mrs. 
Nast  who  has  stuck  by  her  through  thick  and  thin,  as 
they  say  in  the  novels.  I  somehow  feel  that  she  is  not 
as  bad  as  she  really  appears.  Katherine's  friendship  for 
her  I  never  could  explain.  It  shows  that  there  is  some 
thing  missing  in  her  make-up. 

"  I  would  have  wished  for  the  courage  in  the  woman 
that  would  have  driven  her  to  something  desperate.  It 
would  have  been  perfectly  in  harmony  with  her  former 
pose.  Anyhow,  it  might  have  served  her  as  an  advertise 
ment  to  attract  some  theatre-manager.  Not  a  bad  idea 
when  I  come  to  think  of  it.  But  occasionally  fortune 
misses  a  fool. 

"  And  you  also  were  a  fool, — if  I  may  be  plain  with 
you.  A  freak  thing  to  do,  and  a  freak  way  of  trying  to 
make  the  best  of  the  worst.  I  will  say  though,  that  I 
was  not  disappointed  in  you ;  I  had  really  counted  on 
your  doing  the  exceptional.  But  I  could  stand  two  sur 
prises. 

"  After  all,  a  man  of  your  flimsy  experience  with  women 
was  sure  to  put  his  foot  in  it  with  one  like  Katherine. 
Next  time  you  will  have  to  find  a  worshipping  being  who 
will  have  but  one  duty  in  life  :  to  stroke  the  chance 
frowns  out  of  your  brow.  It  is  not  worth  while  being  a 
Tristan  except  on  a  high  salary,  and  with  the  prospect  of 
a  hearty  dinner  after  the  performance. 

"  Strange  how  the  conservative  press  refused  to  take 
advantage  of  you !  Will  you  please  explain  the  puzzle 
to  me  ?  When  you  first  aroused  their  moral  wrath,  they 
called  you  <  libertine/  which  was  a  little  beyond  the  mark. 
*  Experimenter  in  the  Licentious  '  was  a  better  attempt 
to  do  you  justice,  although  surprising  from  that  source. 
But  I  could  not  excuse  their  cowardice  which  stopped  at 
names, 

"  Quite  a  lot  of  poetry  you  are  turning  out.  And  it  is 
better  than  the  stuff  you  gave  us  in  the  past.  You  seem 
to  have  gotten  better  lungs  for  blowing  upon  the  divine 
fire. 


270  WORSHIPPERS 

"  To  show  you  how  nothing  escapes  me,  Katherine  saw 
the  letter  carrier  hand  over  some  letters  to  her  husband, 
and  looked  at  him  expectantly.  Of  course  there  was 
nothing  for  her.  Who  would  write  ?  Can  she  believe 
that  you  might  ?  You  would  find  cutting  your  throat 
a  more  profitable  business.  I  suppose  you  agree  with 
me  in  that. 

"  I  accidentally  learned  from  Mrs.  Nast — to  whose 
talk  I  always  listen  with  great  pleasure — that  Mrs.  Bron- 
ski  is  perfecting  herself  in  English  that  she  may  give  a 
literature  to  the  world.  I  believe  she  has  tried  it  before. 
If  she  succeeds, — and  her  hysterical  experiences  and 
opinions  may  appeal  to  a  big  audience — I  would  be  sorry 
for  you.  When  time  teaches  one  to  hate — !  What  if 
she  does  succeed  ?  .  .  .  . 

"  As  for  me,  I  will  confess  that  I  don't  get  the  enjoy 
ment  out  of  things  of  this  sort  that  I  used  to.  Every 
thing  is  beginning  to  fret  me.  I  am  too  impatient  to 
even  get  along  well  with  myself.  It  isn't  a  pleasure  to 
become  old  and  tired  before  one's  time.  But  I  suppose 
I  will  have  to  keep  on  with  the  game.  I  ought  to  get 
away,  say  to  some  town  in  the  west  ;  but  it  is  a  ques 
tion  whether  I  can  adapt  myself  to  new  environments. 
Strange  what  a  man  will  dream ;  but  I  have  thought 
what  satisfaction  I  would  find  in  travelling  about,  and 
seeing  places  like  southern  Asia,  and  staying  there.  To 
forget  this  machine-made  world  !  Do  you  understand  ? 
But  I  suppose  I  will  have  to  remain  and  laugh  at  people ; 
an  occupation  which  has  employed  many  in  the  past,  al 
though  I  do  not  know  that  a  vast  concourse  followed 
them  to  their  last  resting-place.  I  feel  too  lazy  mentally 
to  even  say,  '  What's  the  difference  ?'.... 

"  A  lot  of  nonsense ;  more  for  my  own  amusement 
than  yours.  .  .  ." 

Raman  read  the  last  part  of  the  letter  absently.  The 
past  days  had  swept  down  upon  him  with  the  mad  roar 
of  an  infuriated  mob  ;  and  in  his  helplessness  he  dis 
covered  that  the  coming  success  would  hardly  serve  as 


WORSHIPPERS  271 

refuge.  He  was  trying  to  allow  that  there  was  no  rea 
son  why  he  should  not  have  expected  the  step  Katherine 
had  taken  ;  but  he  seemed  to  have  been  tricked  into  pre 
senting  a  feeble  front  to  life. 

He  thought  long  of  the  woman  ;  until  with  a  breath 
of  pain  he  broke  from  the  stupor  which  had  seized  upon 
him. 

Finally  he  pulled  open  a  drawer,  and  drew  out  a  photo 
graph  of  her.  He  studied  it  for  some  time  with  lack 
lustre  eyes  ;  then  and  with  a  cry  of,  "  So  she  has  gone  to 
him ! "  tore  it  up,  and  flung  it  into  the  waste-basket. 
Hindman's  letter  speedily  followed  it. 

"  It  was  long,  long  ago,  was  it  not  ? "  he  smiled 
through  his  tears.  "  Just  a  memory — an  accident.  And 
what  followed  could  not  have  been  otherwise.  No  !  No ! 
It  could  not  have  been  otherwise !  That  alone  is  my 
consolation." 

He  began  to  dress  for  the  evening,  running  over  the 
words  with  which  he  would  thank  the  audience,  since  it 
was  certain  that  the  play  would  be  received  with  favor. 
The  rehearsals  had  pleased  the  best  minds  of  the  com 
munity. 

He  finished  dressing ;  and  as  his  eyes  left  the  mirror, 
they  wandered  to  the  waste-basket,  and  a  frown  settled 
on  his  face. 

"  Ah,  the  destruction  of  the  likeness  will  hardly  wipe 
out  the  memory  of  her,  and  of  those  hours.  She  hates 
me  ?  It  is  his  imagination  !  Why  did  he  send  me  the 
letter  so  that  it  would  reach  me  to-day  ?  Hate  !  He 
does  not  understand  her.  Unless  she  hates  herself  ! " 

He  heard  someone  inquiring  for  him.  It  proved  to  be 
Danvitz.  The  famous  playwright  shook  hands  warmly 
as  he  cried  : 

"  You  seem  quite  stirred  up  with  the  thought  of  your 


272  WORSHIPPERS 

first  night.  Strange  to  say,  it  will  be  the  same  when 
your  next  bid  for  public  favor  gets  its  hearing.  As  for 
to-night,  I  promise  you  plenty  of  applause.  Take  it  as 
a  matter  of  course." 

"  You  promise  to  lead  in  the  cheering  ? "  laughed  the 
poet,  turning  away  abruptly. 

Danvitz  had  seen  tears  in  his  eyes,  and  at  once  found 
a  jest  to  create  laughter. 

As  they  were  going  out,  Raman  stopped  for  a  mo 
ment  to  say  to  the  woman  from  whom  he  rented  his 
room  : 

"  Mrs.  Ginsburg,  would  you  mind  emptying  out  the 
papers  from  my  waste-basket  ? " 

That  lady,  despite  her  sixty  years,  occupied  her  even 
ing  pleasantly  in  putting  together  the  bits  of  the  photo 
graph. 


THE   END 


